St. Louis Tri -- Race Report (aka Death by hills!)
So last Thursday night I loaded up the car with bike, tri gear, suit cases and dogs and headed to St. Louis for a tri and my brother's 30th bday celebration. I had won approval from my family to do the tri, which some of them would come out and support on the condition that I not break anything or wind up in the hospital and "ruin" my brother's bday! Piece of cake I thought...a St. Louis tri will be nothing compared to the ones I do in the Florida heat and all the training I've been doing! Well at least that's what I thought when I was expecting a flat course!!
So I arrived in St. Louis Friday afternoon after a day and half of driving. I was tired but promised some highschool girlfriends I would have dinner with them. I went but abstained from drinking so I could keep my body clean and get up early the next day and head out to check out the course and do a quick 10/10/10.
Got good rest Friday and woke up early Saturday and headed out to the race site...first there was a registration mix-up and then I found out I would be starting in the very last wave at 9 a.m. while most racers were starting at 7! Mental hurdle #1 as I got it in my head I would be the last racer and didn't like the idea of being out on the course all alone! Then I drove to the site and saw the hills -- uh-oh, mental hurdle #2. I wasn't prepared for hills! Especially not on the run and it appeared both the bike and run course were pretty intense! After staring at the maps and driving what from best I could tell were the supposed courses I was pretty panicked. The roads on the bike weren't great, gravely in parts, there were two turnarounds, lots of potholes and gulp a huuuuuge hill at the end of the bike.
I put down the maps and decided to get in my bike/run before it started to rain. As I strapped on my bike helmet a huge clap of thunder rang out overhead and I just told myself to suck it up and getting going. Mounted the bike and rode out of the transition area and out of the park -- up a hill of course and straight into the park where the run would be on Sunday...major hill...which I went down easily but as I exited the park I came back up it and was pretty sure my hamstrings were going to give and I was going to roll backwards. I got to the top really winded and thought "How on earth am I going to run this hill?" Got back to the car threw in the bike in the car and headed out for a quick run...spent the run and then next 24-hours telling myself to just suck it up, this was the course and I just had to figure out a way to get through it. Thanks to some coaching and support via text from Jules and Jamie, I got my head on right by the next morning.
Race day -- I headed out of the house by 5:45, even though my race time wasn't till 9 as I wasn't sure how they were going to do body marking and packet pickup since they didn't offer it the day before and I thought we might only have one shot before the 7 a.m. start...turns out I was wrong and could have slept in as the other 9 a.m. starters didn't roll in until about 8!
Ran into my old highschool buddy Ginger Fredrickson (Fred) as I was unloading my gear and we reverted back to highschool with the squeals, hugging and nicknames! Heading to get marked and pick up my packet...which unfortunately was missing...but they marked me without my race number and helped me continue the tradition I began at Ride for Hope of marking my shoulder with my Dad's initials (DLJ) to give me extra strength and power! Headed to transition and just randomly picked the same rack as Ginger! (It was not a USAT sanctioned race so there were no chips and timing mats now were the racks set up by number, which was kind of a nice change and gave the whole race overall a very chill feel.)
Set up and began waiting for the two hours before my start time. Continued to follow my nutrition plan and sip on the "puke punch" (Accelerade if you want to get technical) I've started using and moseyed around. Watched the 7 a.m. swim wave and realized this race started in reverse...putting the slower swimmers in the water first...which my powers of deduction and talking to some other athletes told me the 9 a.m. crew were no slouches in the water....better get focused!!!
Got some final words of wisdom from Jules and Jamie via my crackberry and then popped in my Ipod and tuned everything out. The new Black Eyed Peas song "I gotta feeling" was all I listened to...did a quick jog and lots of stretching to stay loose and warmed up! My family arrived about 15 minutes before my start time just as Ginger finished and I got to congratulate her and head to the pool!
Hit the water and got lucky and got a lane to myself...this was after the two athletes I was supposed to share a lane with and I started talking and I mentioned I do flip turns and they asked what I thought my time would be. I guess my adrenaline had taken over my brain b/c I told them I was going for 7:30 for 400 meters which would be 1 minute faster than my fastest in a 25 m pool and this was 50 m! The swim started and I was feeling strong. Didn't start too fast which often happens in open water swims and paced myself in the first lap...started building in lap 2 and was ready to sprint by the end of lap 3. I was a little disoriented because I couldn't hear anything and I was pretty sure my family was yelling (they were I found out later). Hit the wall at the end of my 4th lap and heard the timer yell 8:32...not bad but a minute slower than I claimed I would be pre-race...people were ahead of me out of the water and I wasn't happy about it as it's my strongest leg.
Ran out to T1 which was a disaster. Being soaking wet always disorients me but this was a bad one. I put my bike shoes on before shorts and it was downhill from there. A guy from one of the earlier waves watched and then walked over to assist, in USAT races you'll get time penalties for an assist to I resisted at first and then realized there was no penalty and I was really struggling so I might as well hold on to the guy or have to sit down and take off the shoes and start over.
Finally got dressed and headed out on the bike. I could hear Mom yelling "Go AJ" as I speed off. Down the first few hills getting my legs under me before I hit the big hill...which my computer said I hit 32 going down -- All I could think is I have to come back up this monster!?? I pushed the thought aside and tried to focus on my cadence. I really didn't hit a good clip until mile 5 and after the first u-turn, which I have to say I don't like! Give me a long loop any day, turnarounds on the bike suck!!! Still, I wasn't in my zone and even by mile 5 I was only averaging 15-17mph which is pretty slow for me on the flat stretches so I turned to bear down but I think the u-turns and the big hill at 10.5 was weighing on me...That and there was confusion about the actual distance. We were told 11 miles, but our bibs said 8.5 so there was much confusion about the actual distance! It was indeed 11 miles, they had just recycled the bib info from last year when the distance was shorter as a result of road washouts! But then I spotted the requisite Cardinal -- thanks Jam! And picked up the pace!
I made the final bike turn and headed for the hill...I politely asked the police officer at the last turn if he wanted to pull me up the hill but he assured me I could do it. I pulled out my power gel before the turn up the monster hill and hoped it would do me right. Made the turn and had a mini hill before the monster. I began to pray and peddle noticing that everyone on the hill in front of me was off and walking their bikes up. I told myself my legs were strong and I was staying clipped in so walking wasn't an option unless I felt like a crash and some serious road rash! I chugged it out on the monster...getting to the top and dropping my speed waaay down, I'm pretty sure the computer read 4 mph.
I passed this woman truging along with a mountain bike and by the look on her face dreading getting back on. I knew we had a brief downhill and then a few more mini-hills (everything was mini compared to the 32mph monster!) I slowed and turned back and told homegirl to hop on and start peddling on the downhill and not to stop, telling her it would feel too easy and weird but that she had to flush her legs...I slowed and kept shouting over my shoulder at her to keep peddling and keep going she did and we both headed down the final stretch of hills into transition.
T2 -- piece of cake, grabbed some water and strapped on my running shoes and headed out. Mom was standing there and I stuck my tongue out as I headed toward her. She cheered me on and then said the dreaded: How many minute miles do you think you'll run??? Ugh! Seriously lady!? I found out later they were trying to time my finish with pictures and having people on the phone like my brother who couldn't be there. I shouted that I hoped for 12 min...but it was doubtful considering the hills on the bike and the ones coming up on the run. Funny thing is my legs felt good.
I grabbed water at the first station and headed out...down the first set of hills up the second at the light and across the intersection where the volunteers and police cheered me on. Staring down the first big hill into the park I offered a bribe: "10 bucks. Anyone want to pull me up this hill" I heard one of the female cops say: "Think we could throw her in the back of the cruiser? She didn't say how." Headed up the hill....shuffling my feet low and fast to the ground like Jamie had instructed me and turned into the park....Yes! A downhill....only to make the turn to an uphill and not just and uphill but a grassy, off-road steady incline. I guess the pain in my legs wasn't bad b/c I was mostly concerned that the grass was staining my nice, white running shoes...then downhill and around the lake...saw my second Cardinal of the day, thanks DLJ! And was on a really narrow and horribly uneven trail if you can even call it that. Looped around some more went across a wooden bridge water stop #2 and headed up this really steep, grassy hill where a very nice older woman volunteer told me to keep going...then past the guy who lied that there were no more hills and I told him as much and he told me, "Well it depends on how tall you are, it's all about perspective!" Amen brother, have fun sitting there!
Made the final turn and headed past the final water stop and the big hill again...ironically there was an ambulance sitting there but as I was in the home stretch I knew I didn't need it. Long-striding and some shot blocks got me up the final hill and then I could see the intersection and cross back into the end of the course and transition area. 1/4 mile to go so I kicked it in...down the hill, past the volunteers and cops who didn't take my bribe, told them since the didn't I'd just go ahead and finish myself. Kept just putting one foot in front of another making jokes with people along the way and sprinted up the final hill (yes, uphill finish) and across the finish line! St. Louis tri done! No injuries and Mom and Bruce were there to see me do a race finally! Yeaaaah! Course time 1:40:02, a personal record and considering the sloppy transitions and hills I was really happy!
I was even good to go that night and fully carried my weight setting up for the party, hosting and even chasing 2 1/2 year-old twins around for most of the night! Jeremy's bday wasn't ruined by my tri, Mom was happy, Jeremy still doesn't believe I did it and there were cupcakes as a reward...oh were there cupcakes!
Couldn't have done it without:
Jamie -- The BEST training partner and sounding board and also the reason I always see two Cardinals! And when it got tough knowing that you were: "Waiting on ur ass!"
Jules -- I'm dubbing you Coach! My constant inspiration to try harder, get faster/better at chasing some ponytails!!!
The P'cola Ironteam -- Not sure I could have been ready without the July 4th ass beating! And the constant words of encouragement! Including Christopher's: "Push till you puke -- again!"
The fam -- For being there!
Ginger "Fred" -- Nothing like the added rush from seeing old friends!
Mom -- Pre-race foot massage, banana bread and cupcakes!!!
Next race? Flat course please God!
So last Thursday night I loaded up the car with bike, tri gear, suit cases and dogs and headed to St. Louis for a tri and my brother's 30th bday celebration. I had won approval from my family to do the tri, which some of them would come out and support on the condition that I not break anything or wind up in the hospital and "ruin" my brother's bday! Piece of cake I thought...a St. Louis tri will be nothing compared to the ones I do in the Florida heat and all the training I've been doing! Well at least that's what I thought when I was expecting a flat course!!
So I arrived in St. Louis Friday afternoon after a day and half of driving. I was tired but promised some highschool girlfriends I would have dinner with them. I went but abstained from drinking so I could keep my body clean and get up early the next day and head out to check out the course and do a quick 10/10/10.
Got good rest Friday and woke up early Saturday and headed out to the race site...first there was a registration mix-up and then I found out I would be starting in the very last wave at 9 a.m. while most racers were starting at 7! Mental hurdle #1 as I got it in my head I would be the last racer and didn't like the idea of being out on the course all alone! Then I drove to the site and saw the hills -- uh-oh, mental hurdle #2. I wasn't prepared for hills! Especially not on the run and it appeared both the bike and run course were pretty intense! After staring at the maps and driving what from best I could tell were the supposed courses I was pretty panicked. The roads on the bike weren't great, gravely in parts, there were two turnarounds, lots of potholes and gulp a huuuuuge hill at the end of the bike.
I put down the maps and decided to get in my bike/run before it started to rain. As I strapped on my bike helmet a huge clap of thunder rang out overhead and I just told myself to suck it up and getting going. Mounted the bike and rode out of the transition area and out of the park -- up a hill of course and straight into the park where the run would be on Sunday...major hill...which I went down easily but as I exited the park I came back up it and was pretty sure my hamstrings were going to give and I was going to roll backwards. I got to the top really winded and thought "How on earth am I going to run this hill?" Got back to the car threw in the bike in the car and headed out for a quick run...spent the run and then next 24-hours telling myself to just suck it up, this was the course and I just had to figure out a way to get through it. Thanks to some coaching and support via text from Jules and Jamie, I got my head on right by the next morning.
Race day -- I headed out of the house by 5:45, even though my race time wasn't till 9 as I wasn't sure how they were going to do body marking and packet pickup since they didn't offer it the day before and I thought we might only have one shot before the 7 a.m. start...turns out I was wrong and could have slept in as the other 9 a.m. starters didn't roll in until about 8!
Ran into my old highschool buddy Ginger Fredrickson (Fred) as I was unloading my gear and we reverted back to highschool with the squeals, hugging and nicknames! Heading to get marked and pick up my packet...which unfortunately was missing...but they marked me without my race number and helped me continue the tradition I began at Ride for Hope of marking my shoulder with my Dad's initials (DLJ) to give me extra strength and power! Headed to transition and just randomly picked the same rack as Ginger! (It was not a USAT sanctioned race so there were no chips and timing mats now were the racks set up by number, which was kind of a nice change and gave the whole race overall a very chill feel.)
Set up and began waiting for the two hours before my start time. Continued to follow my nutrition plan and sip on the "puke punch" (Accelerade if you want to get technical) I've started using and moseyed around. Watched the 7 a.m. swim wave and realized this race started in reverse...putting the slower swimmers in the water first...which my powers of deduction and talking to some other athletes told me the 9 a.m. crew were no slouches in the water....better get focused!!!
Got some final words of wisdom from Jules and Jamie via my crackberry and then popped in my Ipod and tuned everything out. The new Black Eyed Peas song "I gotta feeling" was all I listened to...did a quick jog and lots of stretching to stay loose and warmed up! My family arrived about 15 minutes before my start time just as Ginger finished and I got to congratulate her and head to the pool!
Hit the water and got lucky and got a lane to myself...this was after the two athletes I was supposed to share a lane with and I started talking and I mentioned I do flip turns and they asked what I thought my time would be. I guess my adrenaline had taken over my brain b/c I told them I was going for 7:30 for 400 meters which would be 1 minute faster than my fastest in a 25 m pool and this was 50 m! The swim started and I was feeling strong. Didn't start too fast which often happens in open water swims and paced myself in the first lap...started building in lap 2 and was ready to sprint by the end of lap 3. I was a little disoriented because I couldn't hear anything and I was pretty sure my family was yelling (they were I found out later). Hit the wall at the end of my 4th lap and heard the timer yell 8:32...not bad but a minute slower than I claimed I would be pre-race...people were ahead of me out of the water and I wasn't happy about it as it's my strongest leg.
Ran out to T1 which was a disaster. Being soaking wet always disorients me but this was a bad one. I put my bike shoes on before shorts and it was downhill from there. A guy from one of the earlier waves watched and then walked over to assist, in USAT races you'll get time penalties for an assist to I resisted at first and then realized there was no penalty and I was really struggling so I might as well hold on to the guy or have to sit down and take off the shoes and start over.
Finally got dressed and headed out on the bike. I could hear Mom yelling "Go AJ" as I speed off. Down the first few hills getting my legs under me before I hit the big hill...which my computer said I hit 32 going down -- All I could think is I have to come back up this monster!?? I pushed the thought aside and tried to focus on my cadence. I really didn't hit a good clip until mile 5 and after the first u-turn, which I have to say I don't like! Give me a long loop any day, turnarounds on the bike suck!!! Still, I wasn't in my zone and even by mile 5 I was only averaging 15-17mph which is pretty slow for me on the flat stretches so I turned to bear down but I think the u-turns and the big hill at 10.5 was weighing on me...That and there was confusion about the actual distance. We were told 11 miles, but our bibs said 8.5 so there was much confusion about the actual distance! It was indeed 11 miles, they had just recycled the bib info from last year when the distance was shorter as a result of road washouts! But then I spotted the requisite Cardinal -- thanks Jam! And picked up the pace!
I made the final bike turn and headed for the hill...I politely asked the police officer at the last turn if he wanted to pull me up the hill but he assured me I could do it. I pulled out my power gel before the turn up the monster hill and hoped it would do me right. Made the turn and had a mini hill before the monster. I began to pray and peddle noticing that everyone on the hill in front of me was off and walking their bikes up. I told myself my legs were strong and I was staying clipped in so walking wasn't an option unless I felt like a crash and some serious road rash! I chugged it out on the monster...getting to the top and dropping my speed waaay down, I'm pretty sure the computer read 4 mph.
I passed this woman truging along with a mountain bike and by the look on her face dreading getting back on. I knew we had a brief downhill and then a few more mini-hills (everything was mini compared to the 32mph monster!) I slowed and turned back and told homegirl to hop on and start peddling on the downhill and not to stop, telling her it would feel too easy and weird but that she had to flush her legs...I slowed and kept shouting over my shoulder at her to keep peddling and keep going she did and we both headed down the final stretch of hills into transition.
T2 -- piece of cake, grabbed some water and strapped on my running shoes and headed out. Mom was standing there and I stuck my tongue out as I headed toward her. She cheered me on and then said the dreaded: How many minute miles do you think you'll run??? Ugh! Seriously lady!? I found out later they were trying to time my finish with pictures and having people on the phone like my brother who couldn't be there. I shouted that I hoped for 12 min...but it was doubtful considering the hills on the bike and the ones coming up on the run. Funny thing is my legs felt good.
I grabbed water at the first station and headed out...down the first set of hills up the second at the light and across the intersection where the volunteers and police cheered me on. Staring down the first big hill into the park I offered a bribe: "10 bucks. Anyone want to pull me up this hill" I heard one of the female cops say: "Think we could throw her in the back of the cruiser? She didn't say how." Headed up the hill....shuffling my feet low and fast to the ground like Jamie had instructed me and turned into the park....Yes! A downhill....only to make the turn to an uphill and not just and uphill but a grassy, off-road steady incline. I guess the pain in my legs wasn't bad b/c I was mostly concerned that the grass was staining my nice, white running shoes...then downhill and around the lake...saw my second Cardinal of the day, thanks DLJ! And was on a really narrow and horribly uneven trail if you can even call it that. Looped around some more went across a wooden bridge water stop #2 and headed up this really steep, grassy hill where a very nice older woman volunteer told me to keep going...then past the guy who lied that there were no more hills and I told him as much and he told me, "Well it depends on how tall you are, it's all about perspective!" Amen brother, have fun sitting there!
Made the final turn and headed past the final water stop and the big hill again...ironically there was an ambulance sitting there but as I was in the home stretch I knew I didn't need it. Long-striding and some shot blocks got me up the final hill and then I could see the intersection and cross back into the end of the course and transition area. 1/4 mile to go so I kicked it in...down the hill, past the volunteers and cops who didn't take my bribe, told them since the didn't I'd just go ahead and finish myself. Kept just putting one foot in front of another making jokes with people along the way and sprinted up the final hill (yes, uphill finish) and across the finish line! St. Louis tri done! No injuries and Mom and Bruce were there to see me do a race finally! Yeaaaah! Course time 1:40:02, a personal record and considering the sloppy transitions and hills I was really happy!
I was even good to go that night and fully carried my weight setting up for the party, hosting and even chasing 2 1/2 year-old twins around for most of the night! Jeremy's bday wasn't ruined by my tri, Mom was happy, Jeremy still doesn't believe I did it and there were cupcakes as a reward...oh were there cupcakes!
Couldn't have done it without:
Jamie -- The BEST training partner and sounding board and also the reason I always see two Cardinals! And when it got tough knowing that you were: "Waiting on ur ass!"
Jules -- I'm dubbing you Coach! My constant inspiration to try harder, get faster/better at chasing some ponytails!!!
The P'cola Ironteam -- Not sure I could have been ready without the July 4th ass beating! And the constant words of encouragement! Including Christopher's: "Push till you puke -- again!"
The fam -- For being there!
Ginger "Fred" -- Nothing like the added rush from seeing old friends!
Mom -- Pre-race foot massage, banana bread and cupcakes!!!
Next race? Flat course please God!
Finished...no more hills!
No comments:
Post a Comment