The honeymoon is over...

I had a few days of basking in the glory.

Monday was a full on rest day. Tuesday: recovery workouts. Today: back to work.

As great as I felt about my race, it doesn't mean that it was perfect. I still have a lot of work to do, but attitude is everything. Some athletes disagree with me when I say, "The only thing you can control is your attitude."

That's what works for me. Think you can control your fueling? What happens when you drop your bottle on the bike course?

With that said, I have things I need to work on:

1.) I can improve my pacing and overall speed. At the race, I didn't realize that the first buoy was the halfway mark. My goal was to pick up speed 2 minutes into the swim. Well, I went halfway at an easy pace which was 4 minutes. That's 2 minutes too long in a sprint. I know I have more speed in my swim. I know I can do a 1:15 pace for a sprint (maybe even better).

For my upcoming Oly: I believe I can swim a 22-23 1500m. Based on my sprint, that's realistic. Again, it requires me to PULL HARDER TEA, not faster (ie: frantically).

2.) The bike:  I have YET to get to threshold in a sprint. That's my goal! I know I can get there. I have a problem with focus on the bike. At the race last weekend, I saw what I could do if I stay focused.

For my upcoming Oly: The bike course is made for me. It's rolling hills with the last 2 miles being uphill. A lot of athletes blow up on the hills because the hills can give you a false sense of security on the way out. It's the return that can get you. The return is rolling hills increasing elevation with the last mile uphill.

3.) The run: my limiter. Clearly, the biggest area of improvement. Look, it didn't escape me that I lost the overall podium because of my run. My swim/bike/transitions were are equal to #53. If we were equal on the run, that would have been an entirely different race.

For my upcoming Oly: I started the Peak (my last oly) too fast. I'm going to start my next one slightly more conservatively but then pick up the pace. As I told my coach, I ran consistently at the sprint. Consistency is better than slowing down but not as good as redlining. 

My next step is to get faster throughout the run.


Once again, no real time goals, instead I have a few Process Goals just like I did at the sprint.

Now excuse me, I have some training to get done.

Oh, and there's also this....

Learning how to race

The day after my race, and I'm still all smiles about how I did. I can't think of anything in recent history that has given me such a sense of satisfaction.

I started in triathlon in either 2005 or 2006. I can't remember the year, but I certainly remember my first race like it was yesterday.

I want to stress something. Coming in 1st place, doesn't matter to me. Placing has never mattered to me. Yesterday, it was the icing on the cake. For everything that I did right, my day ended with a HUGE 1st place. It was pretty cool.

It was the first time where I felt like I really deserved that win. I worked so hard for it on every level. I didn't feel like I just "got lucky". I didn't feel like a poser. I worked hard. I deserved everything I got yesterday.

Believe it or not. It wasn't that I PRd across the board. It wasn't that I came in a commanding (if I do say so myself) win. It was that the door opened.

That is the greatest feeling I've ever had in my triathlon experience.

It wasn't that I did a negative split. It wasn't that I paced correctly because I didn't.

I feel like I've been learning so much. It's all the intangibles that I've been learning.

We all do basically the same stuff: we do power intervals and tempo runs and long runs and master's swims.

We take recovery & rest days. We eat well. We get sleep.

Those are like the pieces of the puzzle that fit together nicely. But if you don't want the puzzle to fall apart when you lift it up, you need glue to hold all the pieces together.

The glue is the intangibles.  It's all the other stuff that is equally.....I could argue, it's the most important part of racing.

It was what I was missing. The intangibles are what I needed to make the jump from "doing" triathlon to "racing".

Trust me. For years, I thought I was racing.

I really think getting to this point was a mental jump that I couldn't have done by myself.  I couldn't do it without the help of my Coach. I didn't know what I was doing wrong. I didn't know I was doing anything wrong because I was doing all ^^that stuff above^^. What else is there?

I'm excited because I took the first step to finding out who I can be as a tri-athlete.

I have an Oly race coming up. I'm excited and anxious for it just like I was for the sprint.

I'm not hoping for any magical PRs or huge wins.

I'm just going for seconds at the Eat Pain Buffet.

Eat Pain: A Race Report

SPOILER ALERT

I don't know where to begin with this race report. Even though this was a sprint race, I can't guarantee that it won't be long. A lot happened leading up to this race.

Rocky Mountain Triathlon is known as the highest triathlon in the world at about 9000ft. I'm not really affected by altitude, or at least, I don't let it enter my mind. I go into this race every year as a race that I want to perform well at. 

You all know that I have been incredibly frustrated with my inability to race well. Over the past two weeks, I've had a few conversations with my Coach about this.

She told something....some things...that no one had ever said to me before. When she said it, it was like years of frustration finally explained themselves. 

I knew what I had to do. She and I talked. I said that now that I know what I know....I wanted another shot at an Oly. She said, "Do it. THIS year." I signed up for a race later in August.

This weekend, I had a sprint on the schedule. Deep inside, I've always known that I'm a better athlete than my race times. I sent her yet another email, wondering if I could pull this off. Not because I physically couldn't do it....

but because I was afraid of taking the easy way out...."doing" a triathlon instead of "racing" it.

I read her response this morning. Among other little snippets of advice, she ended the email with:

EAT PAIN

&

Go back for more

When I read, I immediately laughed and thought, "wow....that's exactly it. That's EXACTLY what racing a sprint is!"

I was ready to do this. I didn't worry about pace so much. Yes, I had a strategy to follow, but my goal was....well.....to EAT PAIN.

THE SWIM

This race has a very short swim. So, yeah...take one of the things that I'm good at and shorten it.  I knew that I could swim a 1:20 pace, but I had yet to show it. I kept screwing up my swim. I would swim too frantically. My last two open water swims, I worked to slow my roll....so to speak....slow down to speed up. PULL HARD....NO HARDER. The speed would follow.

As we lined up, one woman pushed me out of the way and said, "I really need to be in the front. I'm one of the best swimmers."

Ok. Fine by me. You do you.

When we took off, I felt incredibly calm, like I completely owned this swim. I lost the "fast woman" almost immediately. (Everyone looks alike out there).

I head out on the swim with the first couple of minutes being easy, finding my bearings. NOT peaceful easy let's hang out....sprint easy. I noticed that everyone was shooting off to the right. I looked up. I'm right in line with the buoy. I decided that as soon as I hit the buoy, I'm going to pick up the pace. 

I made the turn and really started pulling hard. I had already passed the previous wave, and now I was in the slowest men. I held my ground and swam straight toward the finish. If the first part was easy, the second part was definitely hard.

All I could think was, "This really hurts. THANK GOD IT'S A SHORT SWIM."

I exit the water and forget to look at my watch, so I have NO IDEA how fast I swam. I look up for Mr. Tea. He's nowhere to be found.

"Oh duh," I think, "He'll meet me at the bike. He knows I'll run through T1 faster than he can get there. That's where he is."

I get to T1. Mr. Tea is, again, nowhere to be found. 

I look around. A lot of bikes are gone. That doesn't help me. I was the last swim wave. ALL the bikes should be gone. 

I ain't got time for this. I hop on the bike.

THE BIKE

I ride for a few minutes. My HR is through the roof. I take a few drinks of water and settle into a rhythm. I'm blowing past people. 

The course is 6 miles downhill, 6 miles uphill. 

As I pass people, I'm checking out everyone's ages. I can't find anyone in my AG. I should find SOMEONE in my AG. I'm a pretty good swimmer, but I'm not normally #1. I keep riding thinking that at some point, I will find the women in my AG.

That's when I see her.

Up aways on the road, a woman in a blue swim suit. She is hauling ass, passing people like they are standing still. 

Right then, I decide that I'm going to catch her. She's moving. I've never raced anyone like that before. She might be better than me. But, I'm gaining on her. It takes me 2 miles to over take her, and I know I shocked the hell out her.

Then, she passes me. She has a 53 on her calf. She's not in my AG.

Then, I pass her. That's when I said, "Dammit! As soon as I lose focus, you're right there."

She passes me. That's when I notice there are NO woman in front of us. There are NO women going the other way.

I catch her and say, "We're in first. We've got this. PUSH IT."

Then, there is another woman. She also has a 53 on her calf. I make my move to go as hard as I can to 1.) Drop 53 and 2.) Pass the NEW 53.

That worked for a short time. My 53 catches me. I say to her, "I knew you could do it. You are now officially in 1st place."

She says, "We'll see. The run isn't my best thing."

I say, "Let's make this happen."

We take off. It's uphill into a headwind. She takes the lead on me. I'm right behind her. We make the sharp left and head to transition.

Just then, I see Mr. Tea. He has a look of shock. I think I'm racing pretty well. He gives me a huge smile and two thumbs up. 

THE RUN

I lose 53 on the run, but I know she's just ahead me. I also know she's in first place. I haven't seen any other women in either of our AGs. Me? I have no idea where I am, but I don't care. If the thought pops into my head, I immediately follow it with, "Don't worry about them. Think about you."

I'm running hard. I'm supposed to increase the pace every half mile, but holy beejeezus a half mile feels so long when I'm running hard. 

As I close in on the turnaround, I see 53 heading right at me. I give her a big smile and thumbs up. 

How did I feel? Not so good. There were times I felt like I was going to pass out. I was constantly reminding myself to NOT SLOW DOWN. 

When I get to the last .75 miles, I'm running. It feels like my legs no longer belong to me. I can see the finish line.

I can feel someone right behind me. I think, "NO. You are not going to pass me." What if she is in my AG? What if I am just seconds from missing third place?  Am I going to give up right at the end? NO. I'm going to RUN.

AND I RAN. I see Mr. Tea. I feel like my heart is in my throat. I just keep getting faster. I cross the line in an all out sprint.

Where I almost collapsed if it weren't for the old man who was there to take my chip. 

I have not idea what my time is. I have no idea how fast I swam, biked OR ran. I didn't have my garmin set up that way....not intentionally, I just didn't change the screens when I took off.

Mr. Tea comes running up to me, "YOU WERE SO FAST! I never saw you come out from the swim. I kept waiting and waiting. Then, I went to transition and realized you were already on the bike."

Just then, 53 and I saw each other. She came running up to me and gave me a huge hug. She said, "YOU ARE THE BEST CHEERLEADER EVER. I think I came in 1st OA today because of YOU. Where do you live? We need to train together. I've never had anyone push me like that on the bike."

Sadly, she lives in Silverthorne. I live 2 hours away. I owe her so much for keeping me focused on the bike.

She DID end up coming in 1st OA.

We said our goodbyes, and I told Mr. Tea that I need my shake and some water. He said that he wanted to check out the results.

I didn't go with him. I didn't even care what the results were: I RACED A SPRINT.  The numbers, the finish time could not take that away from me.

I saw him running at me with a huge smile, "FIRST PLACE! YOU GOT FIRST PLACE!"

I may have shook my head. "What? What was my time?"

Mr. Tea: 1:16.

What? 1:16? I'm thinking back to my races....

That means I PR'd across the board. I never saw anyone on the bike. That means I was first on the swim and the bike.....

We waited for the awards ceremony. I kept thinking, "It's wrong. They're going to come back with a correction. I didn't win."

They announce 3rd place: 1:42

They announce 2nd place: 1:32

I came in at 1:16.

They announce, "And Tea's smokin fast time of 1:16 gives her 1st place for women 45-49."

I think Mr. Tea had to push me up to the podium.

My swim pace: 1:20 or 8:00 for 550m

My bike pace: 22mph or just under 33:00

My run: 10 pace or 30:48

ALL PRs.

I never EVER considered the possibility that I COULD EVER be first overall. But 1st and 2nd OA women were 53 years old. 

Maybe I could....

It's the last time. It's the first time.

I grew up with typewriters. I still couldn't figure out what that picture was.

We are exactly one month out from JMan leaving for college.

JMan is our youngest.

This week, I've found myself thinking about all the last times. I went shopping yesterday and realized that would be the last time that I buy his load of food....boxes of frozen pizzas, snack foods....hey, don't judge, 18 year olds eat A LOT. There's no way I'm going to cook for him because I'd be cooking all.day.long.

So, I bought snack foods.

Then I went to the doctor to pick up his immunization form for the last time.

I know that this month is going to be filled with lasts.

It's overwhelming.

There will also be firsts.

I started thinking of all the different firsts.

Some of them, I can't even imagine what they are going to be like.

The day he moves out (8/21), that night will be the first night me and Mr. Tea will be alone. Because even when your teen hides out in their room, sleeping for 12-14 hours, they are still there. They still have a significant presence.

On 8/21, that presence will be gone. When Googs left for college a couple of years ago, it was a HUGE empty VOID for awhile. He was 25% of the family.

JMan is now 33%.

What about waking up the next morning? The first morning where I won't see him for breakfast.

Or the first time a new Pixar movie is on tv? No one will be there to hang out with me to watch it.

But then, there are the firsts like being able to stay out late or get up early or go do things without having to worry about "family time" or what to make for dinner or if we even eat dinner at all.

It's all the little things. No more dirty laundry laying around. The bathroom that was shared by two boys growing up will be empty.



And clean.



....for long periods of time.



When I open the fridge, there won't be cans of soda or frozen waffles or hot dogs.

It'll be my first time since 1994, that I'm not scheduling my appointments around their appointments or making sure they get up for appointments. I'm not running up to the school because someone forgot a text book on the counter.

In fact, there won't even be school supply shopping.

That last, was last year.

So, I'm trying to imagine life in the next chapter, but it's hard. It's hard to remember what life was like 21 years ago.

I'll just take it one day at a time....and watch Frozen every time it comes on tv, and join him for lunch when he has another frozen pizza...and never turn him down when he asks me to go to breakfast with him, and graciously accept the can of coke that he hands me after my long workouts.


The next chapter can wait 30 days to be started.

I have a secret

My secret?

I don't know how to race.

I didn't know that I didn't know how to race until this past weekend.

The race was fine. I didn't do it to "race". I did it for the experience of doing a larger & highly competitive race. I had one goal for the race, which I accomplished.

It wasn't the race that got me. It was a conversation that I had after the race.

Over the course of the conversation, I learned that I had no idea how to race an Olympic distance tri.

I'm not talking about doing an Oly. I'm talking about racing an Oly.

I realized that there are "aspects" of racing in my own personal strategy. For the most part, I just do Olys.

I finished my last Oly of the year.

But I realized that I wanted the opportunity to race an Oly. I was okay with waiting for next year since I am now into HIM training.

I really wanted an opportunity to have better goals. Granted, I was set to go for Loveland. Things happen. I had a shitload of personal stuff going on. I can't control that. I did the best I could with what I had that day.

Still, I think my goals for Loveland were a little off.

I talked to my coach about wanting another opportunity. I explained how I know what I need to do now.

BUT, I was perfectly ok waiting until next year. In fact, I already had my race chosen. I was going back to my very first Oly race.

Then, of course, she surprised me and said, "Why not do it this year?"

I thought for a minute, "I'm doing so much racing this year. I have 3 races scheduled so close together. Could I handle another race 3 weeks after that?"

I have my 5k run test coming up.

Although it wouldn't be an A race, this could be perfect timing.

I guess I'm adding a race to my schedule.

Nothing beats a 5K

Sex, of course, notwithstanding,

And maybe froyo.

Then again, sex, 5k, froyo....now, that might be an ideal day.

My coach asked me to do a 5k as a run test. We haven't done one in a bit and need to get some updated numbers.

Given my racing/training/traveling schedule, I have very few days that I'm available. Boulder has those dip n dash things, but who wants to drive 50 min one way to run under 30 minutes? NOT.ME.

I found this!

SOME of you already know my ummmm affinity toward pancakes. (Although, they don't make the sex, froyo, 5k list. I still loves my pancakes).

See you there?