Red Bank Olympic Race Report

Based on my last post, I think you saw I had a good race, not a great race, but a good one in the fact that the scales were tipping in favor of the things that went right for me.  As you may know, I ONLY get up early when deemed necessary.  I see 7am race start, 1 hour drive, and I need to pick up packet that morning.  NOW, it SAYS you can pick it up between 5-6am so normally I would get there at 5:50 promptly to make sure I am in line by 5:55...BUT I am going with my friend Yasi and from what I gathered after knowing her for the past 9 months is that she likes to be early.  So out of courtesy, I pick her up at the glorious hour of 4:30am....

In prep for the race, I got a mani-pedi to match my new SOAS kit and Laura came to braid my hair (I feel like a 10 year old girl saying that)....

I was truly happy to get there early.  For the first time I wasn't running around like a maniac thinking I am forgetting something, or it could have something to do with the checklist I printed out....I also enjoyed being around someone (Yasi) that was very even keeled and just a very positive person.  She has been a great person to train with and very motivating with her focus and hard-working personality. 

All ready to go - you would think I would have a quicker T time with this set-up

Please note - this calmness beforehand was not a true depiction of the swim, but it was pretty...

Swim
There isn't much to say but I choked....yup, I forgot how to swim.  After all the posts about "I love swimming," "I am getting better at swimming"....nope my first taste of salt water did it.  It was at that point I had my freak out moment.  Even the guy on the standing paddle board says "miss do you need to come out?" I am thinking "no, stupid, just let me get through my hissy fit, can't you see I am fine." Then the men 39+ start swimming over me.  "Lovely," I think.  "How the fuck am I going to finish this."  Then I stop my little fit, put on my big girl pants, (a little late since I think this went on for a good 7-8 minutes).  I start swimming just in time for the turn around where the waves come.  I am sure to normal people these were not waves but to me they were ridiculous.  I started feeling sea sick and glad I didn't eat that much...,but I swam the rest of the way in, pretty well actually (shame I didn't do that the whole way).  In a nut shell even with the hissy fit, it was still 5 min faster than my last Olympic. 

T1
Wetsuit....bike was on ground, water bottle empty needed to refill...enough said....

Bike
I am always cautious on the bike especially after a couple things:  bike accident and my prior experience of calf cramping anytime I run over 25 miles off the bike.  I went harder up front, and there were random annoying hills that slowed me down a little.  Part of this is that I didn't really taper the week before since tapering was coming next week.  I felt a little heavy in the legs.  I was a little disappointed in my time since I know I am faster than this; however, the problem always comes in when you are one of the last people out of the water and biking alone and you cannot see your bike speed.  This hurts me a lot because I am much more competitive in nature and need people and something to strive for.  I am still happy and feel like I was strong but not fast. 

At least it looks good, right!!

T2
Blah, I will never be a 1-2 minute ninja in transition, I need to practice this A LOT!!!

Run
Finally!! For the first time I felt good, I took a Gu at mile 1.  I ran the first three cautious and as I noticed no cramping I took it home for the last three with mile times under 9 min finally.  I had an average of 9:13.  The good part is I would have been fine running another 6 miles.  My heart rate was in the 160's meaning I could have went harder on this.  I was so happy to not be in pain and actually sprint into the finish line in NO AGONY!!  This may not have been fast but this was a total win in my book and really made me feel a little more confident in my decision to switch the running gait to mid-foot and break up with my orthodics in place of the Brooks Pure. 

It was a great race!  Especially, for Yasi - who took home an age group win!!  Our friend Greg came out to do his long run and support us and we met some new friends, ate Mexican and then I relaxed with compression socks and a DogFish Head Burton Baton....good stuff.

I am still quite fearful of the Mooseman and the 16% incline on the bike, but I just started reading "As Good as Gold" by Kathryn Bertine and came across this quote:

"A good quest will do much more than take you from point A to B.  A good quest unlocks the myth of failure, the truth about scuccess, and the reality of the What Ifs.  A good quest will confirm that yes, you did the right thing simply by attempting.  A good quest will provide inner peace and mental harmony.  But first you have to hunt down Doubt and kick it square in the balls."

 That being said, I am kicking Doubt in the balls for Mooseman!