Catching Cupid Reverse Tri

My cute little triathlete

Today was my little Elliot's first triathlon!  She has been so excited about doing a triathlon for about a year now and has one scheduled in March.  But, I saw this triathlon online and asked Elliot if she was interested and she said, "YES!"  So, I signed both of us up.  Last night (Friday) was the father/daughter dance at Elliot's elementary school.  So, the girls and Adam went out for dinner and then went to dance where the kids had cupcakes, slushies, and candy.  Jump to 1:30 a.m. and Elliot coming into my room and saying her tummy hurts.  I figured she was either anxious for the race or it was just too much junk.  So, I told her to try going to the bathroom and then getting some rest.  She did, but about 15 minutes later she said her tummy really hurts.  Then, she ran to the bathroom and threw up...a lot.  After that, she was able to go back to bed.  At that point, I figured the race was out for the morning.

At 5:30, I woke up Elliot just to see if she still wanted to race or if she wanted to rest--she was still super excited to race and swore she felt better.  So off to the race we went!  Since this was reverse triathlon, the race started with the run, followed by the bike, and then the swim.  Elliot's race was a 1/2 mile run, 4 mile bike, and 100 yd. swim.  The run was on a track so I ran along the inside of the track with her to help her keep pace.  Then, it was off on the bike--Adam rode along with her on the course.  It was cold (in Arizona terms) so the ride got pretty chilly.  The poor thing was frozen by the time she finished and she was pretty pooped (probably the lack of sleep on not feeling well).  She jumped in the pool for the swim and it was clear she was out of energy, but she powered on and finished the whole thing.  She had a little confusion in the transitions (so do most first timers though), but other than that she did great.  At the end, she was finished, but so excited.  Watching her cross that finish line was such a proud moment.  :)  I've had people tell me that they are motivated by my running/racing, but to know that I've inspired my daughter to believe and accomplish this was one of the greatest feelings ever. 

I also signed up to race.  The adult race was a 5k run, 12 mile bike, and 400 yd. swim.  This is a pretty short distance...but it's the first time I've been swimming since Ironman and only the 2nd time I've cycled since then!  (I know--that's just terrible--I really have to get back in the swing of biking and swimming!!)  I actually like the reverse tri format.  I find that I run faster (I got a PR on the 5k) and it doesn't significantly impact my bike or swim--and the transitions are faster.  I placed solidly in the middle of the pack overall--but 9/10 in my age group.  :(  I am still in that ultra competitive W30-34 age group--had I been in the 35-39 or either of 20 something age groups--I would have finished in the top 3!  I must say I do enjoy when I pass 20 somethings (and men) on the course.  :) 

Next up (for real this time)--Ragnar, then the Phoenix 1/2 Marathon!

Nathan's Race Report - Kristin

This was a last minute decision to do Nathans (thank you Michelle!).  I hadn't done an Olympic since Marquee back in May, so I was anxious to just get in a good brick, and that's how I told myself I would treat it.  

The Friday before I got in my first century ride, which was really hard at the end because of the heat.  I was concerned again about the heat during Nathans.  When the race started 40 minutes later than planned, I knew that meant we'd be running in the heat.  Ughhh!

Luckily I had Kim there with me and we kept each other company between bathroom breaks while waiting for the start.

Because the particularly warm September we were having, the water was 81º, not wetsuit legal.  But I really enjoyed the swim without a wetsuit.  I told myself not to go out fast, but just keep a strong, steady pace.  I did just that and felt great!  I also tried drafting in the water.  Unfortunately I picked a swimmer who veered off to the right quite a bit, so I had to cut back to the left to get back on the course.  I'm sure whatever time I may have saved was definitely lost on that one.  Also I had my goggles fog so bad!  And on the way back in, I was making sure to spot every six strokes, but since our caps were orange, and so were the buoys, plus the fogged goggles, it was so hard to see, and I found myself slightly off course again.  Doh!  So I need to remember to treat my goggles with anti-fog before my next big swim.  

Swim:  1500 M - 32:23

On the swim exit, I heard my friend Lori cheer me out of the water.  This was so exciting because I knew my family wouldn't be there, and was kind of bummed since they are world class cheerleaders.  

Also, my tri top was gaping in the shoulders, so I took it in real quick the night before.  Well I left the seem not so smooth on the neck area which rubbed my neck the whole swim.  So I gave myself a nice raspberry that looked like a hickie.  Classy.  

T1:  1:49

The bike course is interesting.  There are so many tight U-turns that ruin your momentum!  But it is fun getting to see so many people on the course.  Unfortunately I found myself behind some UofA and NAU tri team members, so I couldn't help but push myself to pass them.  I passed three.  Yes!  But after a century just two days before, my legs were t.i.r.e.d.  They are still feeling the tired ache when I get on my bike and push the speed or try to climb!  But I'm happy with my bike time.  I averaged over 20mph which is really good for me.  

Also, on the bike course, I heard my friend Althea cheer for me.  I had forgotten her husband was doing the race, and she was there to support him.  Another boast!!  It's so funny how that can help your mental game in a race.  I so appreciate that!

Bike:  25Miles - 1:13:36

During transition 2, I ran past my bike rack!  Arghh.  So I ran under the bar with my bike and racked my bike backwards.  Oh well.

T2: 1:37

The run, as expected, was hot.  The first lap I was still trying to make my tired/dead legs wake up, but at least was able to make myself run through all the aid stations.  But by the time I made my second loop around Tempe town lake, I was steaming.  Where you can feel how hot the air is coming out of you with every breath.  So I stopped at each of the three aid stations and downed some water and powerade, and put ice down my sports bra, down my shorts, and in my visor.  Oh man, that felt so good and helped so much!  

Also, along the run course were Kate and Patty.  They were the cherry on top!  I went to the race expecting no cheers since my family was not there, but I had encouragement the whole time.  Thank you so much for that!

Run: 10K - 56:23

So despite the slower run, I still had an Olympic PR of 2 minutes.  

2:45:49

And besides my neck hickie, my other souvenir from the day was the mosquito bites that were all over my legs!  Turns out Kim wasn't the only one I was hanging out with waiting for the race to start, the mosquitos were there too!

Phoenix Marathon 1/2

As Kristin said, this race was great!  I was a little worried that it would be chaos (packet pickup was!) since it was the inaugural year.  Turns out, it was a fun race, with lots of great swag, and PRs all around. 

The Phoenix Marathon (1/2 course)

First, the course.  It was great.  Beautiful scenery starting at Usery and heading down hill for 3 miles.  Then it leveled out and stayed level or slightly downhill for much of the remaining 10 miles.  The only challenges on the course were some stretches that were directly into the wind (luckily the wind was pretty mild, but you could definitely feel it when you were running into it).  And, there were some hills in the last 2 miles that felt tough, but were probably not as bad as we thought they were (but coming off all the downhills and being the end of the race they felt tough). 

Second, the weather.  It was perfect.  It definitely felt cool while we were waiting at the starting area.  They had some campfires set up so we could stay warm.  However, once we started running, the cool air felt wonderful.  I loved the temps throughout the race and I felt fully comfortable running! 

Another Medal and another PR!

Sunrise at the starting line

Third, other race logistics.  It wasn't crowded.  There was plenty of room on the course.  I didn't feel like I was adding extra mileage dodging other runners.  Additionally, there were plenty of port a potties at the starting area.  So, I could use the potty just before the race started and I didn't have to stop on the course.  This was huge--the last couple of races I ran I lost between 5 and 10 minutes waiting in line to use a port a potty.  It was nice not to have to worry about that.  The race crew also did a nice job of keeping water, powerade, and gels stocked at all the aid stations.  The finish wasn't too crowded or chaotic and there were lots of goodies to be had (even cotton candy!!). 

The other great part about this race was that I got an awesome PR--2:12!  I've been chasing 2:15 for my last couple of halfs and I was happy to beat it on Saturday.  This PR is about 9 minutes faster than my previous PR.  It's also a almost a full hour faster than the first half marathon I ran 6 years ago.  It's crazy to think of how far I've come since then. 

Also, I placed 11th for the Athenas!  Not too shabby overall.  Next big race-Marquee 1/2 Iron Tri!!