#findfaster

Over the weekend, I completed my third race in as many weeks. I started the trifecta with the Des Moines Escape Triathlon, an Olympic distance race in the new Escape series. From there, I came home for a few days, then drove with Gloria and my parents up to Santa Cruz for IM 70.3 Santa Cruz. Then home for the week before the Nautica Malibu Triathlon on Saturday, another Olympic distance race. 

Training between each race was necessarily limited a bit, so it actually made for some easy weeks with extra time to spend with Gloria and friends. And now that I’m taking a full week off before a final push to Los Cabos 70.3 in November, I weirdly feel lazy. Triathlon is a strange sport and I’m a strange person.

Escape Des Moines

The trip to Des Moines started to go downhill when I locked myself into the Nursing Room at LAX at 5am to use my breast pump and realized I’d forgotten all the pump parts on the drying rack at home. I wasn’t scheduled to land in Des Moines until 2pm. Oh boy. The discomfort got pretty extreme, but luckily I had a sweatshirt to hide any unsightly leaks. On landing in Des Moines and meeting my Dad, who amazingly flew out to meet me and hang out, we drove directly to Target to purchase some pump parts to I could relieve myself on the parking lot. 

That done, I could think and breath again, so we found our hotel downtown, and the trip continued the downhill slide. I was racing with my brand-new Liv Avow 0 bike, after about 3.5 hours of ride time. The mechanic at my shop, Giant Santa Monica, helped me pack it. But there were some surprises when I tried to assemble, just due to growing pains with a new bike, and my ineptitude. So we used FaceTime on and off for about 2 hours trying to troubleshoot. Once that stress was done, Dad and I then went to find some beer. Downtown Des Moines was surprisingly great and there were lots of places to drink local beer and get some good food. 

The following day we went to the nearby race site and I took the fully functioning bike out for a little spin. And as a bonus, my wonderful friend from college Brooke was driving to NY from South Dakota and managed to meet us at this park in Des Moines to a quick visit with her and her daughter. The trip definitely took a sharp uphill swing at that point, and stayed up! The rest of the day was easy, as we went downtown again to the finish site to register and attend the pro meeting. I met Sarah Haskins, the other lactating mama on the start list, and was able to tell her how helpful her blog was to me throughout pregnancy and during the beginning of my comeback training. Dad and I found some more good food and beer and set the alarms for a somewhat early day. 

Another great surprise was in store as my cousin Melissa, who just took a teaching job at nearby Iowa State, was able to meet us for race day! Who knew Des Moines would host two great reunions?! Race morning was chill, as the lake was an easy trip from downtown. I managed time well, getting in a good warmup jog and swim before the start. 

The swim was in warm water on a chilly morning. No wetsuits! And with a field of good swimmers, I was soon alone looking at feet splashing in the distance. I came out of the water a disappointing 5 mins back from the lead pack of 4 who swam together. But, that did make the rest of the race pretty simple.

It was an individual time trial bike ride on my brand new Viserion the Ice Dragon to try and make up time. I ended up with the fastest bike time (but only by about 20 seconds over Sarah Haskins, Lauren Goss and Heather Lendway)

Then, a chase on foot to see how much time I could make up. It wasn’t enough to move up any places, and I had to be satisfied with 5th place, the final spot for some money.

But, looking at the results, I was happy with my bike time and the power I sustained. I was also happy with my run, the third fastest of the day, after a good effort on the bike. The swim was about what I figured it would be, as my elbow is still healing, and I’ve cut most of my swim workouts short. And also, those athletes are just better swimmers than me anyway!

After happy post-race musings with Dad and Melissa, we got ready to repack my bike (much easier than building it) and head to the airport. I was able to fit in three more local beers before boarding my flight home to Artie and Gloria. It was a great trip!

Santa Cruz 70.3

My parents arrived Wednesday so they were around to help out for my last couple pre-race shake-out workouts. We picked up a minivan Thursday afternoon and packed it up for an early Friday morning departure. We made it up to Santa Cruz in about 7.5 hours. Not bad with a baby! Thank goodness my Mom sat in the back to entertain G the whole way. Our arrival in Santa Cruz was not without drama, as our reservation for a large enough room for three adults and a baby was nowhere to be found. But after some cajoling, almost tears, and a 60 minute walk around the boardwalk, the room was located, cleaned and inhabited. Exhausted from the day, we opted to use the hotel kitchen to heat up some Trader Joe’s meals. The following day I got in a ride on the beginning of the bike course and a jog. I opted to stay out of the water because it’s cold, I’m lazy, and there was a vague warning about blooming red algae. Gloria cried through her nap time, so I put her in the baby carrier so she would fall asleep. While I kept up the constant bouncing and jiggling, she slept on me through registration and the pro meeting. After lunch Gloria and I met up on the beach with a friend who was there for his first ever triathlon. The rest of the day was a sleepy blur and we ended up eating some more fine Trader Joe’s meals for dinner.

Race morning logistics were easy since my Mom found a hotel directly across the street from transition. I was able to use the breast pump in the hotel room before heading down, set up transition, and make it to the water in time for a swim warmup and final snacks. But then, fog rolled in, no one could see, and the start was delayed at least an hour. Kudos to the organizers for figuring out how to move forward with a swim. They condensed the course to 750 meters on one side of the pier and lined the course with paddlers. It was impossible to see beyond the paddler right in front of your face, but they had enough that we could navigate the course without too much difficulty. The shortened course helped my elbow a lot, and also got me out of the water before I got too cold. I was grateful for that as well.  The chilly water and air were causing me some terrible Santa Rosa flashbacks of shivering for 2 hours on the bike. I spent some extra time in transition putting on arm warmers and socks, so I was comfortable the entire bike ride with no shivering. Hurrah. I did feel gypped of the spectacular coastal views though! 

I moved into 8th position off the bike with a solid effort that I was happy with. Right before leaving for the race, Willie at Giant Santa Monica fiddled with my fit a tiny bit, and I was even more comfortable on Viserion. I went a little hard for the first hour, wanting to break free of the athletes I was nearby so I wouldn’t have to deal with jockeying for position with the narrow bike course and passing cars. Once I felt solidly in 8th place, I backed off the effort to a more sustainable one and cruised about a minute behind Ceclia in front of me for the rest of the course. It was fun having zero flats, just constant rollers out and back on PCH. It felt similar to riding on PCH outside of LA, except way less populated and way prettier.

Heading out of transition I heard the announcer say I was in 8th, but that most of the athletes ahead were fairly close together. With the shortened swim we all stayed together more, which made the race really fun. I knew I had a chance to run into a money position, so that was the goal. My legs were feeling good, so I just tried to hit a pace and settle in without surges. The steady pace was enough to get me into 6th place by mile 5, so then I just tried to keep my shit together. I’d lost some gels off the bike and managed to miss handoffs for more at aid stations. Then, I lost a gel running too somehow. I was afraid to take a new kind of gel, since I’ve had stomach troubles in the past doing that. I tried to make up for it with coke at aid stations, but still started feeling woozy and light headed around mile 8-9. It was a battle of wills from then on to not F up and lose my spot. I kept chugging coke and kept trying to keep the pace steady. Happily it worked out and I stumbled through the sandy finish happy with another payday and happy to see my baby and parents!

We finally ate at a restaurant that wasn’t Trader Joe’s post-race and found some race local IPA. And cookies. Those were delicious cookies.

Nautica Malibu Olympic 

Malibu is always on the race schedule, except last year when I was pregnant. I was excited to go back and try to regain my crown this year, even when I found out it would be my third race in three weeks. But at least Des Moines and Malibu were Olympics, so it worked out. I didn’t train that much in the week leading up to Malibu, and still woke up race morning feeling tired. But on a positive note, Artie and Gloria were both coming to the race! We got up there in plenty of time to park, get situated, get in a swim warm-up and be on the start line with a minute to spare. There were no nerves race morning, as I had spent the while morning chatting with friends. I absolutely love this race for that. The race started with pro women, men and a large wave of age group men, so the trip out to the first buoy was rough. After the right turn we all spread out and settled down. I came out of the water close to Madi and with a good swim time (for me), happy the my elbow hadn’t hurt at all. 

Vision felt great again, and I am starting to feel more and more comfortable on my new ride. My legs didn’t have much power, so I rode only a tiny bit above 70.3 watts for the course. That was ok by me, and enough to move me into 1st place with a decent time. I wanted to break 40 minutes on the run, so I didn’t want to overextend, just push hard enough to feel like I did some work.

I got to race with Coach Dusty cheering me on in person for the first time!

Heading onto the run course, I was pleasantly surprised with my legs feeling not-terrible. A run (and Olympic distance PR) were in play. It was fun to be at the front of the field, see the leading elite men run by on the out and back sections, and be able to cheer for friends. The cheers from friends who were spectating were awesome, and made the run feel a lot easier than it was. I didn’t have to dig as deep for motivation during this run as I often do. I knew that upon finishing I’d be starting a full week of zero activity and lots of beers. And, I knew Gloria was there. What more motivation could a mama need?! I squeaked across the line just under my sub-40 goal with a 39:30 run time for the 6.2 mile course. And, I think, a PR for the distance! I’d gone faster in Des Moines, but the course was a little short. Here, in photos, are two really great feelings:

I’m now on day 5 of zero activity and many beers. You might think I’d be going a little bonkers, but I’m vacationing hard. At least as hard as I train. I know that the 6 week block of training that’s incoming will be challenging, so I’m really enjoying this time with family, friends, beers, and sleeps.

Thanks for the continuing support family and friends! And among those I consider family and friends, my sponsors. Thanks to Skechers, Roka, Champion System, Bonk Breaker, RipLaces, ISM, Profile Design, and Triple C, I’m able to pursue this passion. And, huge thanks to Giant Santa Monica for all their work and help getting me aboard Viserion and getting him ready to race in such a short time frame. 

It’s a fish! Also, an IM 70.3 race in Benton Harbor, MI. I learned both of these things over the weekend while completing said race.

As Coach Dusty reminded me the day before, there were no expectations going into this race. That’s how I’ve approached most of my races this year after having a baby, and I thought the “no expectations” part of the season was over. But after a crash at Challenge Penticton 3 weeks ago, I got to shelve those expectations yet again.

Brief race recap of Challenge Penticton

I never wrote a race report about that crash, mostly because I was mad/sad and didn’t feel like rehashing it. I was loving my experience in Penticton, a cool little wine town on a big lake in Canada somewhere. I’d been having a lot of bike issues in the months leading up to this trip, but most were easily remedied, just annoying. The day before the race for example, my bike was in the local shop so they could make my brakes work again. It took a couple hours and was good to go. I was solo for the trip, my first time away from my baby Gloria for more than a few hours at a time. While it was annoying to have to use the breast pump 4 times a day, and I was missing her a ton, it also allowed me to relax and have a very chill pre-race day on Saturday. The race logistics couldn’t have been easier, as the hotel was a couple 100 yards from transition. Race morning I could actually pump in the comfort of my room, instead of huddling in a dark corner of transition somewhere.

The race started well. I was really happy with my swim, coming out head to head with Mackenzie Madison, my rival for the day. I felt great on the first loop of the bike, building a lead. I was riding with a lead moto for the first time. The course had some climbs, some flats, some descents, and some sweet views. I was feeling very confident about the day, looking forward to the rest of the bike, and even the run, as I came back into town for the turn around for the second loop. That is, until I was suddenly slamming into the ground without knowing why. Turns out, my spare tube which lives in a velcro strap under my seat somehow came loose from the velcro and fell directly down into my rear wheel. The wheel seized up, the bike stopped, and I didn’t. I landed on my right elbow and side. I knew the road rash would hurt and be annoying, but I was most concerned about my elbow, which I was convinced was shattered into 1000 pieces. I went to the hospital and got patched up and x-rayed. Nothing was broken, luckily. The doctor said he thought my elbow probably popped out of joint and then right back in. Lots of swelling and pain, probably ligament damage, but nothing we could do about it. We put the arm into a little sling to keep it more comfortable and that was that.

So back to Michigan. My training had been a little off, especially swimming. I couldn’t swim after the crash for about a week as I waited for the road rash to begin to heal and for the elbow pain to die down. Once I got back in the pool, it was frustrating. I don’t have any sharp pain, just an occasional dull ache and junky feeling in the joint. And I can’t pull with any power. My typical times in the pool went up by anywhere from 2-5 seconds per 100, and the one time I tried an ocean swim, I had to stop after less than 50 minutes of circuits because my hand was going numb. So it was armed with this knowledge that I went into Steelhead without expectations, just a sinking feeling my swim would suck.

The lake wasn’t as choppy race morning as it had been the day before, but it was still fairly rough, and we went against the current for the long side of the triangle course. Combined with the fact that I’m not a great swimmer anyway, and that pros couldn’t wear wetsuits in the 72 degree water, it was definite trouble for the ‘bow. I didn’t warm up in the water because of cold morning temps, and chilly (to me) water temps. I knew I’d be shivering on the bike and didn’t want it to start too early. I did swim in a little group with two other athletes, and came out 15th/20 with my slowest time ever. But that was about what I expected, so it didn’t bother me as I ran through the long transition to my bike. In fact, I was pleased to actually see a few bikes left on the racks, meaning I wasn’t dead last. Everyone was slowed down somewhat by the conditions.

The great thing about coming out at the end of the field in the swim is that there are always people to catch on the bike. My power meter didn’t sync yet again, so I went by feel and estimated my effort to how it feels in training. I also kept trying to find women further up the road. The hunt kept me hungry. As did the fact that I actually was hungry…

The course was great, scenery-wise. It went up the coast, then turned inland to wind through vineyards and farmlands. It was mostly rolling, with no climbs of note. About 1000 feet of gain in total, according to my watch. The road was rough in many patches, as you would expect, but I only lost one gel to bouncing, so that was a win. I kept my mind engaged with the effort, and my self-talk positive. I even worked on convincing myself that I was looking forward to running so I would warm up. The first hour of the bike was full of shivering and teeth chattering, as the morning was uncharacteristically cold. I had fun trying to see how many women I could catch while keeping my effort steady, without any spikes in power. It ended up being 7, as I dismounted in 8th place with the 4th fastest bike. I didn’t have fun singing Despacito over and over in my head. I couldn’t get that damn song out of my head the whole race.

I felt good on the run in my GOMebs, taking care to keep my pace steady, and effort level moderate to begin with. I wanted to stay steady until mile 7, when I would try to ramp up the effort to finish faster, or at least even-paced. The course had a couple hills, but was mostly rolling with flat sections. I wasn’t catching anyone, but I also wasn’t getting caught. That fact, and the knowledge I was pacing well helped me stay engaged and positive.

I had a rough mile right around 7-8 when I felt some lower leg cramps twinge. I took down the bottle of HotShot I was carrying, because I thought there was an aid station around the corner to wash it down. Unfortunately, there wasn’t and I had a slow mile of sour stomach, gagging and spitting as the burning of the shot hit me hard. I walked the aid station when it finally appeared so I could take in water and coke to get rid of the sour stomach. It worked, and I was able to regain my pace. An awesome spectator told me I was catching someone around mile 11, and I was able to pick up the pace and make the pass into 7th place. I finished with (I think) my fastest two miles ever in a race this distance, feeling pretty damn pleased, with a time of 4:31:58.