Race Report, Part II: Challenge Atlantic City Triathlon Half 2015

Part II of my Challenge Atlantic City​ 2015 Half race report. It's crazy long, but hey it was a crazy long race!  If you missed Part I, click here.

Overall, it was a day filled with challenges, for everyone, but an experience I enjoyed.

Early to rise for a 6:05 start.  Traffic volume was crazy high at 5:00, so we had a 15-minute delay getting into and parked at Bader Field.  I was thankful to have AWD as we were spotted at the end of a very wet field and already seeing some cars getting stuck in the growing mud.  We passed over paved areas unused for parking, but we saw post-race that they filled that with cars as well.  The storm from Saturday turned many parts of the field into a small ponds and mudholes.

Quickly over to transition, worried that we only had 20 minutes to set up.  Almost ready, with five minutes to spare, we heard an announcement they were delaying the start fifteen minutes due to the slow parking process.

It was foggy and sprinkling, but over 70 degF.  The water temperatures was announced as 74 degF, and many loudly rejoiced to pull on wetsuits.  I went without, feeling comfortable from the practice swim.  We gathered by the water and the RD announced more delay waiting for a final okay from the water safety team.  It was a mixed response as the fog was starting to break up and blue skies were peeking through.  I’d guess the total delay was thirty minutes and the Half men started filing in for a time trial start, three or four jumping in at a time.  The water level was three feet higher than Saturday due to recent high tide.  The start went quickly, with all men in the water in five minutes.  Then the rest of the Half racers!

We swam against the current to start the long rectangular course. I didn’t notice the current too much as I started to find my rhythm.  The 74 degF water felt refreshing but not cold, even sans wetsuit.  Some passed me; I passed others.  It never felt too crowded with the TT start.  The channel is narrow, so although there never seemed to be enough site buoys (it always feels that way from water level!), I could easily navigate between the banks and towards the bridge. Very quick around Turns 1 and 2, then down the long back stretch.  As we approached the third turn buoy, I could sense the stronger current and tried to tack upstream to not overshoot the fourth buoy.  This worked well for me, but not for the dozen or so other swimmers that suddenly were all up in my space!  Hello!  Now we turned into the current and it was significant.  The water was also choppier in this more open section and I got several face-fulls of salty water.  Coughing and sputtering, I changed my stroke to get higher in the water to sight, breathe and pass several struggling on this final section.  Costly effort, but necessary.  When we reached the dock, the volunteers tried to pull me up the ramp until I cried, “STOP!” as my right calf knotted up.  Breathe.  Ow.  Breathe.  Okay, finally up.  I apologized to the volunteer and explained, “leg cramp!” as I limped off the dock.

So glad that was over!

And then the glorious sight of the back end of a firetruck with a fresh water shower.  I took full advantage to wash out my nose, mouth, kit... so long NJ nasty water!

My stomach was queasy in T1.  I guess the unplanned “electrolyte loading” will do that.  I toweled off my arms, spray tri-slide on my wrists and pulled on a bolero to cover my shoulders, neck and arms.  A lovely volunteer came over to help me.  I also opted for socks and road shoes.  Not hurried; I wanted to be ready for a three-hour bike ride.  It was still misting and cloudy.

The bike exit from Bader field was sandy and wet, but the CAC crew laid down long carpeted mats.  It felt a little like biking on shifty soil but was over quickly.  Onto the roads.  Lots of people with flats; six in the first four miles.  I saw several more along the course, losing count after twenty.  Not surprising after the storm.

The clouds started to burn off and it was blue skies and sun!   A light breeze turned into a finishing tailwind for the last six miles or so.  Very scenic ride.  A few spots of heavy traffic, but mostly quiet country.  Flat, with some false flats.  Big-ring time-trialing for 58 miles.  Yup, the course was long, but that happens.  We had a mix of dedicated bike lanes, wide shoulders and quiet country roads that could use some re-surfacing.  I found the course well-marked, with one aid station we passed at about 15 and again at 42 miles or so.  I grabbed a bottle of water each time.  It was never crowded.  The one course oddity was a detour of a busy intersection by way of a WaWa Food Mart parking lot.  It seemed suddenly narrow and twisty, but negotiable.

This bike course was a mix of locked-in TT and many turns.  I’m always disappointed at how much opportunity triathletes miss by lacking cornering and bike-handling skills.  I passed many; got passed by two ladies, including a teammate on a relay team, and two men.  The course includes two miles on the AC Expressway, both out and back, so I enjoyed rolling at 29 mph through a toll booth with the wind at my backside!  Good little ride.

Back into T2 and again took time to apply sunscreen, change socks and tie my shoes (no speed laces this time) and also say “hey” to teammates relaxing post-relay and AB.

We exited onto a section of tarmac, out Bader Field and across held traffic to run down Albany Avenue to the Boardwalk. The police did a great job with this section and hundreds of thrilled drivers!  Once on the Boardwalk the sun begin it’s two-hour beat down.  I had planned run-walk intervals but found the aid station spacing was inconsistent, so I pretty much stopped at every aid station to control my body temperature with ice and water, and my interval plan was tossed.  All the aid stations were very cheerfully staffed and met my needs.

I ended up using a public bathroom around mile 5 when I realized, and confirmed by volunteers, that no portable toilets were provided (due to the presence of public toilets).

Most of the first half of the run I enjoyed cheering for other runners and started to see my teammates and clubmates along the way.  Everyone was really spread out and the South end of the Boardwalk is more residential and less crowded. Plenty of folks out for their own Sunday morning runs.  Heading North for the next turnaround I passed the lively finish line, hearing names called as they grabbed their medals, and I still had over 10K to go!

As the run wore on, I wore down, cheering less and trying to find some motivation to just keep running.  The Boardwalk was easier on the legs, but I got a bit tired of dodging oblivious tourists along the middle sections.  Three more turn-arounds and finally into the finish, grinning like a fool!

I got my medal, ice-water towel (thank you!!) and bottle of water and immediately found my husband and friends to high-five and hug.  Post-race food was nearby (a local food truck), as well as the finisher shirt pick-up.  After eating and cheering for more folks at the finish, we got the shuttle bus back to Bader Field, making more new friends and sharing tales.

Following the usual routine of retrieving everything, hanging the wet stuff, showering and resting, we walked back to the Boardwalk to enjoy dinner with friends.  The last three hours of the night, a small group of us joined some official race volunteers and staff to cheer for Full distance runners on the Boardwalk.  Some truly gutsy folks out there on that lonely course! The final finisher crossed the line  at 23:50 and we were all treated to the laser light show at Boardwalk Hall.

The final weekend event was a breakfast buffet at Bally’s and Full awards ceremony on Monday morning.  The Friday dinner was more impressive, but this was still a lovely touch to enjoy as part of a race entry and close the event.  The race team was clearly tired but hosted us with smiles!

I met my weekend goals to enjoy the race, even the unmotivated parts of the run (sigh).  I knocked off over 28 minutes from my last Half two years back, improving everywhere, except for slower transitions and despite an extra two miles biked.  It felt good; bring on the next adventure!

Triathlon Lessons

This past weekend I competed in a Time Trial that was part of a local Omnium bike race. As multi-sport athletes, we sometimes dabble in single sport competitions.  These individual swim, bike or run races usually serve as great training sessions generating lots of max effort data for our coaches to parse through, but we also enjoy the simple thrill of "knowing I don't have to run after this bike!"  They are generally humbling too as we multi-sport 'generalists' go up against 'specialists.'

Me and Mr. Burl before the Time Trial - yes, he still had stitches in his lip from last weekend!

Following the TT, another participant commented that I should consider joining a cycling team versus triathlon.  It was a fantastic compliment, but I responded that I was more fit and healthy because of the three disciplines.  I benefit mentally and physically by splitting my energy among three sports.

The following day, I was struggling through the end of a tough run in humid 90-degree conditions.  Only fifty minutes, the workout LOOKED rather tame on paper, but after about thirty-five minutes of actually running, I was suppressing the urge to faint and/or throw up.  Odds were good for either outcome.  Somewhere in that last set of intervals I asked myself again, "Really, why do I do this? Why do I run?"

As the oxygen flow returned to my brain during the cool down, I remembered why.  Simple self-achievement - accomplishing goals I never thought possible, running 'fast' being chief among them.  And I thought about how each triathlon discipline teaches something valuable, for that self-achievement or just getting by in life.  Here's what I came up with:

Swimming teaches the importance of good technique, balance and focus.

Cycling teaches how to suffer, and how to stay in control inside your head when you really, really want out!

Running teaches sacrifice, and that it really doesn't hurt that much more to dig really deep.

Transitions teach the values of planning and simplicity.

And besides the sport itself, I am fortunate to have family, friends, teammates, clubmates and coaches that remind me daily of the importance of praise, gratitude and love.  May your sport(s) of choice also be so generous with life lessons!

My brother-in-law and sister-in-law joining us for their very FIRST triathlon recently.  So proud!

2013: Another Level!

Inspired by my friends, teammates and fellow bloggers, I spent the morning reviewing 2013.  Pouring through the +Garmin data, +TrainingPeaks records, race reports and my very own "Race Numbers" spreadsheet (yes, still an engineer at heart) was pretty cool.  Lots of things to be happy about regarding the 2013 multisport season.

The best way I can sum it up... I took it to another level in 2013!  I trained less, yet accomplished more.

On 03 February, I completed my first coached workout.  Hiring a coach was a smart choice: I dedicate a lot of personal resources to my tri life and have non-tri priorities too, so letting a professional take over this part of my life was wise.  My +Carmichael Training Systems coach gets IT.  My workouts are tough, but there's not junk volume, no training for the sake of training!  And the results came.  The data proves it:

2012: 383 training hours and 3844 miles = 3 Age Group Podiums
2013: 261 hours and 2850 miles = 3 Overall Podiums (1-1st, 2-2nd) and 2 Age Group Podiums

July 2013:  2nd AG, Sprint distance, Music City Triathlon, Nashville, TN.

Race-wise, in 2012 I completed 7 triathlons including a 70.3, and in 2013, 7 triathlons and 2 duathlons, also including one 70.3.  Each season included a half marathon, a 2-mile open water swim, and few 5K or 10K races.  I even tried cyclocross in 2013!

2013 was a year of PRs for both pace (70.3, Olympic, 10K, half marathon) and distance (longest bike ride completed).  Sprints are hard to compare due to varying distances but I was just plain faster in 2013.  I rewarded myself with a new aero bike helmet after holding a 20.0 mph average in an Olympic distance race mid-season, and repeated it two more times!

The highlight of 2013 racing was participation in the USAT Age Group Nationals in August.  It was a wonderful event in Milwaukee, and I'm thrilled that I already earned the chance to return in 2014.

My awesome parents joined us in Milwaukee...

And they also supported the June 70.3 effort in Syracuse, along with my brother, sister-in-law and dear friend Frosty.

Racing with family and friends cheering is unparalleled.  I think they had as much fun as us.  Oh, and when I say "us" and "we," I'm referring to me and Burly, my favorite training partner!

Capping off the year was nomination to the most excellent Team Rev3!

I'm humbled and excited to be one of more than 60 amateur athletes representing a wonderful event company +REV3 Triathlon (REV3TRI).  2014 should be a fantastic year with them!

2013 also included several non-triathlon changes, including a new job and new house, so navigating the training and racing was not without its challenges.

I'm so very fortunate to have a strong support network of family, friends, coach, RockyTop MultiSport club mates, Provision teammates, Rev3 teammates, new sponsors and Burly.  Thank you.

As much as I enjoyed the next level that was 2013, I simply hope that sharing my activities inspired others to go out and live each day fully.  May 2014 bring more fun and inspiration.

It's time to get ready for a bike workout and get a glimpse of the next level.  Cheers!

Thankfully Not Sick!

It's already the week before Thanksgiving, and I'm simply thankful that I'm not sick.  Last year, something took hold of my body (and my husband's) and wreaked total havoc.  Following the post-race season letdown and a crazy stretch at work, I was stricken with vertigo, chills, GI ugliness, fever and exhaustion.  Thanksgiving consisted of a missed 10K race and canned soup while curled up on the sofa.

Fast forward one year.  New job and new boss.  Still tired post-season, and still not sleeping well.  I learn every day to listen a little closer to my body, and this week it said, "take it easy, lady."  One very long workday and I missed Thursday's run.  And yesterday I was still not feeling it, so skipped a 2400-yd swim (and all the unavoidable disease-covered surfaces at they gym).

I really hate missing workouts.  Hate it.  But, after last year, I'm not second-guessing the decisions.

I awoke feeling okay.  Today was a cool 50 degF at mid-day, with the sun veiled in thin clouds.  My husband and I enjoyed a lovely Field Run test - eight minutes to go hypoxic!  It's been over nine months since Coach Max prescribed one.  My maximum heart rate was 181, versus 184 in February.  The pace today was 7:18/mile, a bit slower than the previous 7:02/mile.  Not sure what to make of that, except that 1. I'm slower (really?!) and 2. a few hours later, I'm ready to pass out.

My body might be telling me something again (like, get more rest!)

We'll see if tomorrow's 3-hour group bike ride happens.  The HIGH temperature is predicted to be a balmy 39 degF, and even though [I hope] I have the right gear, I wonder if my body is up to it.  I'm gonna sleep on it... because that's probably what I need more than anything else.

Here's to making it another week, and hopefully to the start line of that 10K on Thursday!