September 11 / 12 Races

TT was racing all around the place today - 20k bike time trial at Fiesta Island (Jody), 1/2 Marathon Camp P (Susan), Malibu (Val, Andy, Christy, Katie), La Jolla Rough Water Swim (Megan), Tri Rock (Cara and Spencer).

Here are some race summaries:
Susan:
Talk about a FUN and challenging 1/2 M! wow, it is on my list of things to do. hilly but doable. and so competitive, the gal in my AG won in 1:48, jeez! I cam in 4th with a 2:10 and I just about killed myself to get that time, I can barely walk this morning.

Spencer:
I was 4th in the Clydesdale division (although the 2nd place guy did not post a swim time!)

It was a long wait; the first wave hit the water at 07:00am and I was in the second to last wave that hit the water at 08:15am.
I went out fast on the swim and after the first 100 meters had to slow down to catch my breath; the bike was flat but technical with many turns through the Navy base on Harbor Drive; I felt strong and steady on the run and was very happy with a PR for a 5K.

Val:
1st Olympic race, best weather conditions, cool & overcast! Water was smooth like glass. I literally got in the 58degree water and just swam, never stopping. Loved it. At the mid-way bouy, I glanced at my watch and knew I was going to swim faster than normal, so I was even more motivated to swim swim swim!! Especially loved seeing the ocean filled with dolphins once we all got out!! Bike was smooth, up and down hills, but nothing we have not trained for at home - thank you Del Dios!! Felt great on the bike which is my weakest link! Pushed really hard this race on the bike!! Run was flat and fast. First mile is always a little slow, getting the legs moving, but the last 3 miles were super fast. I was watching my watch and so incredibly thrilled that I knew I was going to finish in just over 3 hours instead of the longer time I was expecting. And I had Andy waiting for me at finish line giving me high-5!!! I was literally jumping up and down as I crossed the finish line. I felt great, actually drove home right away to SD because I couldn't wait to share news & excitement of my race results with my family and friends who have been with me through every workout, nervous moment and exciting moment. This happiness is as much for me as it is for them! Malibu is truly a great race location!! I loved it and will return always!!! I absolutely LOVE the ocean at Malibu!!!!

Hugs, Val

Jody:
The time trial was a great experience. It was an opportunity to test myself on a stand alone bike event, my first. I warmed up on a trainer for 30 minutes with Dano, from B& L, and 5 of his friends in the Hilton parking lot.. I quickly got off the trainer and rode down to the start at Fiesta Island. My initial fear, during the 10 second countdown, was what are the chances that I will fall over when the guy in the "start house" (who is holding me up) lets go of me or will he give me a push? Note to self, start in an easier gear next time. I was the first of 4 women in the 50 to 59 age group to go off. We went 30 seconds apart. One woman past me at the end of the second lap. I was able to hold the others off without anyone closing the 30 second gap. My time of 32:02 was good for 2nd place. 1st place, Lenita Anthony, was close to 2 minutes faster, which was a great time, and placed her in the top 5 women overall. I learned that I did not have to stay to the right like in triathlons, I can save precious time by cutting the tangents. I am still learning what my ideal cadence is for a time trial, with no run afterwards. The wind was moderate I was told, not the worst conditions and not the best, either. I think I have room for improvement and feel it will definitely help my bike leg in triathlons. I hope to do a few more.

Christy:
I had a great race! 1st place 35-39 and 5th Overall!

I was second out of the water, passed her on the bike and held everyone on the run! My timing chip, however.. did not work so I wasn't listed in the immediate results & therefore missed the podium pictures etc...until I went to the booth and they looked me up in their back up system where it was confirmed that I won by ONE second!
Never saw her behind me but she must have been doing the "sneak attack". I dont have splits b/c my chip but have a pretty good idea of where I stood. Swim 14:30 - Bike 32:35 - Run 29:17 and abt 5 min in transitions (yikes!) = 1:41:39

The water conditions were fantastic.. I kept a steady pace and then "kicked it" on the last 200. THe bike course was rolling with some false flats but overall it was a nice/beautiful course. I have never felt better on the run - I tried to stay between 6:50 and 7:20 pace for the 4 miles. I might have been able to give it a bit more, but was happy with my result!

I'll be back next year!
-C

Cara:

Tri Rock turned out to be a "family affair" for us this weekend....minus the kids if that makes sense! After leaving the kiddos behind with a sitter on Saturday, Kevin and I headed down to San Diego to stay with my sister and Brother-in-Law, both of them also doing the race. As Spencer said, it was a VERY long wait from the time transition closed to the time we hit the water.....not good for someone like me with horrible nerves! Fun race all in all. There were 3 or 4 bands along the course, one of them playing on a catamaran during the swim! There was a great post race meal and beer garden as well (explains the pricey entry fee I guess!) Despite my fastest 500m swim split and my fastest 5k run split (had a 6:48 pace), I got 4th in my age group and 5th overall. Where do these ladies come from?! The bike course was very, very flat...this type of bike course has become my nemesis! It was very technical as Spencer said and I swear I heard Sugarman yelling at me to "get off my brakes" around every turn! I'm happy with my results as I raced hard but looks like I need to join Jody down at Fiesta for some "flat" bike racing!
Kevin had a solid race too! After being in the pool only 4 times in the last 6 months and completing only a handful of runs, he finished in the top 25 in his age group. His bike was strong of course...I'm not sure he even broke a sweat! He had pretty fresh legs for the run so he actually enjoyed the race and wants to squeeze one more in before the season is over. My Brother-in-Law has done CA 70.3 four times now but has never raced any other distance! In his first sprint he finished top 10 in his age group. My sister held strong. She finished with a smile and that counts for something, right? She said at the end, "if you don't train.....you can't complain"! Get training eveyone!!

Cara

Katie:
Loved the venue for Malibu. The race was very well put together and felt very "big time" compared to many of our hometown races. Beautiful course. Water was a chilly 58 but was only cold for the warm up. By the time we actually went off, it didn't seem bad. Nice conditions...small waves, easy entry and exit. I stayed pretty steady the whole time, never feeling that awful feeling of getting out of breath (which maybe means I wasn't kicking it hard enough! - story of my life!!)

Decent transition and off to the bike. Nice rolling hills; nothing too hard. Found myself yelling at myself a few times though for not pushing it hard enough. Urgh...that good ol' comfort zone I tend to sit in and not push harder through it. Although at the end, I did pass a lot of gals in my age group and only one passed me. My feet were still numb until the 2nd mile into the run....

Run felt surprisingly good for the amount of running I've been doing lately (or NOT doing!). Loved the great fast and flat course. I held btwn 8 and 8:30 pace most of the time, with a few dips into the 9s and a few dips into the 7s. A good FIVE girls in my group passed me on the run though...cruising at a good 7:10 or 7:20 pace. I tried to hold each of them but there was no way. It was a huge bummer for me to watch each of them go by and watch my age group standing drop with each one. With about 300 yds to go, I thought to myself I needed to really kick it hard and finish strong. Right then, I saw Christy and she yelled at me like an owner yells at her donkey! "Go get that guy...and that guy..." Within seconds, she was sprinting with me and the crowd was going crazy, cheering for us and yelling at us to go get more and more people. I think we passed 6 or 7 people in that final stretch. After crossing the finish, I looked at my Garmin and saw that my max pace for the run was 4:11. We were hauling at a pace I don't think I've ever been before. Super fun and energetic finish. Should have some great pics at the finish line!

Overall, I was pleased with my finish of 12th out of 108 girls in our group. I have had a really hit and miss training season and have been pretty inconsistent this year. I still think I have a ton of room for improvement in all categories and would particularly like to shave a good chunk off my run and bike. It was so frustrating to beat all those girls on the swim and bike and then have them fly past me on the run.

Malibu is a great venue and I will definitely be back. And it's especially fun when your friend absolutely crushes it and gets 1st place and gets us an entry to the VIP after-party catered on the beach. Thanks for bringing me as your date, Christy!!

Now onto the Women's next month...