Race Day: The Bike

Once I reached the transition area after the swim I plopped myself down on my towel, wiped my feet with the hand towel, slipped on my socks (not extremely easy when wet) & bike shoes, threw on my helmet, watch & glasses and took off toward the exit. One thing that so many people get penalized for is mounting their bike before the official area. They mark this with a thick yellow line and large signs... I mean it was pretty brain dead.

Once on, I focused on getting my speed up slowly and finding the right gear. This is where it's important to have made sure that you racked your bike in an appropriate starting gear. Then it hit me: I had just finished the longest open water swim I've ever attempted. With all my training both in the pool and Bay, I had yet to attempt a full non-stop open water mile. That small accomplishment just revved me up and, unlike the swim, I felt I started my bike really strong. Also, within my first 1 or 2 miles, my family was waiting for me curb side, camera in hand and cheering.

*Important Note: I understand that triathlons are not an appropriate spectator sport. I get that. But I cannot tell you the immense motivation you get from seeing friends and family cheering you on.

Even though you are feeling good you need to make sure you pace yourself. I heard stories of some of our best veteran runners having to walk/run the last leg because they hadn't gauged their effort right. Think of it as a 7 out of 10 in effort.

The bike course was relatively flat, but since we were getting on and off the freeway there were some ramps and slight hills. This, ironically, made the ride much more fun for me. You were able to play with your gears to pick up speed up hill and fly down the other side. Though serious hills could be an issue, I imagine a completely flat course would get quite boring. Plus it seemed to work more areas in the leg rather then simply chugging along on the "usual suspects" and seemed to ward off muscle exhaustion.
After the first 12 miles or so I did have to pull myself up out of my saddle now and then to stretch out. On top of the usual kinks you get from working in the same position, during a race, with all that adrenaline, you can unintentionally grip your handle bars which causes extra and unneeded stress to your neck and shoulders. Getting yourself off of your saddle can remind you to reexamine your positioning and focus on what your muscles are doing.

Something else to remember is this is really the only time you have to refuel & hydrate. As mention before, I had 2 bottles of liquid: one water, one Gatorade. I tried to make sure to switch between the two and my goal was to mostly finish both, even if I didn't feel thirsty. I also had a Clif Bar and Jelly Belly Sports Beans taped to my handle bars. Though I didn't finish either I made a significant dent in both and you really do feel it kicking in, especially when the adrenaline starts to peter off.

By the time I came to the end of my bike my adrenaline rush from the morning had disappeared but in it's place had come the most intense endorphin high I have ever experienced. I was flying and my body felt like it reached a place that I've never physically been before. It was by far one of the most amazing feelings I've ever felt in my life. That alone made this entire process worth every penny and ever drop of sweat.

*The pictures in this post are of my actual race and me (#2589)

Race Day: The Swim

The rule, when it comes to wetsuits, is that they are allowed as long as the water is 78deg or cooler. If it's warmer and you choose to still race with your wetsuit, you are not eligible for placement and in some races, including mine, you have to wait for the last wave of the day. Since the water was well over 78deg on my race day I decided to go sans suit. I knew I was not going to come anywhere close to placing, but the idea of starting any later (I already had to wait around for almost 2 hours) was not appealing.It was nerve racking to think that I was about to jump in the river in a tri uniform I had only received 4 days prior and never experimented swimming in. Walking down to the water in my wave seemed more like I was walking the plank. They had installed a floating dock that stretch out into the river. Once the wave before you had started you walked down the dock and jumped in the water. There you and the rest of your wave, tread water for almost 2 minutes waiting for your start.
As corny as it sounds, you could cut the tension with a knife. Suddenly the ever chattering girls had all become silent. All I could think was "Why did I get myself into this? Why is this so important? And how can I get myself out of it?" It seemed like such a bright idea 6 months ago. It was that way for about a minute until we all started to cheer ourselves on... good lucks and whistles flew through the air. Then the horn sounded.
Though it was a mess, it was not as scary as stories had made it seem. I did not get a foot to the face, and no one attempted to swim over or under me. Once we reached the 100 meter mark we all had pretty much sorted out our own space and seemed to finally get into the flow. That was until the wave behind us began. This is a complaint I have about how this race was organized: who's idea was it to put the 25-29 guy's wave right behind the 25-29 women's wave? They set us up to become a human speed bump! I finally felt like I was getting into my rhythm when a wall of neon green swim caps came hauling over us. These are the guys you hear the stories about. Though a bit more unnerving then the start of the race, I still survived sans black eyes or near death drowning incident.
I was having a hard time though. I just could not calm down and get comfortable in my stroke. I felt like I needed to breath every full stroke and had to break my glide to look up and double check I was still on course with the buoy. It wasn't until the 700 m buoy (almost half way) that I truly felt like I fell into my rhythm. Though it was frustrating that it took so long, once I found it, I felt like I was flying. Before I knew it I was at the end and clambering out of the river.
I found it hilarious that on the short run back to the transition area they had us run through a hazmat rinsing station... like that was going to protect me from the crap in the Potomac I had just submerged in for a mile.

*The pictures in this post are of my actual race and me (#2589)

Race Day: Before it Even Started

At 3:50am I'm waiting by the garage in Adams Morgan for my ride down to set up my transition area. As I imagined, while I stood there in my tri uniform, gym bag in hand, all the partiers who still thought it was Friday night, were slowly making their way home after a night of drinking on the strip... such a juxtaposition.

I was lucky enough to secure a ride down with my coach. I'm not sure how you were supposed to get down to transition without inconveniencing a non racer. It's an issue I had with how the race was set up. Transition was not metro accessible (plus metro was closed), my bike was already racked, and the parking was minimal and quick to disappear. My back up plan was to order a cab. You really don't want to take any risks with your timing.

The scene at West Potomac Park was that of a sleepy army armored in spandex bustling to prepare for battle. Once we got down there I set up my transition blanket. We had about 30 minutes before the area closed. I also needed to pump up my tires. Since it was so hot the day before when we racked our bikes we all deflated our tires since the heat could expand the air in them and blow them out. We also needed to get body marked (numbers & age written on our arm & leg), and pick up our time chip.

My Transition Area:

• Bike

Helmet hanging on the handle bars w/ Sunglasses & Watch placed inside
2 Bottles of liquid: 1 Water 1 Gatorade
Fuel Taped to Handle Bars: 1 Clif Bar, 1 Energy Beans

• Bike Shoes w/ Socks unraveled and placed over each shoe
• Small hand towel to wipe of my wet and grass covered feet
  
• Running Shoes w/ laces untied and loosened
  
• Spray sunscreen for easy reapplication (did I mention we had a heat warning that day?)
• Bib number already attached to my race belt

The transition area closed at 5:15am, after which you cannot drop off or pick up anything in your area until after your swim. This means I was barefoot holding onto my goggles and cap with a disposable bottle of Gatorade and a banana. We had almost 2 hours to wait since my wave wasn't until 6:55am. So what do you do to pass the nervous time? Well first you get into the port-a-john line... with EVERYONE else. It took us a little less than 30 minutes to get through. It was a bit awkward standing for the National Anthem in a bathroom line, but at least I was there with most everyone else.

Next we decided to head down to the waters edge and see how the Sprint swimmers were doing. It was not motivating to see how many needed to grasp onto a kayak after only 100 meters. Watching them struggle through half the distance I was going to tackle made me slightly queasy and we decided to head back up to zen out with the rest of our team. This was the best part, being surrounded by people you've been training with for 6 months, people who are in the same anxious position you are in. We all seemed to have equal shares of dread and excitement... though that seemed to sway a bit the closer we got to starting.

Then it was finally time. We each got into our appropriate corrals, not that different from cattle and slapped on our caps and goggles. It suddenly got pretty quiet as we each prepared ourselves for the hours to come...

Success!

I have official graduated from "newbie" to "triathlete"!! Y-Tri rocked it out today!!!

**Details to follow, but for now it's time to celebrate :)

Checking that list...

It's the night before my race. So far so good. I went down to the expo today and picked up my packet with the plethora of numbers I have to post all over myself and my equipment, took my mug shot (below), and headed down to the transition area to rack my bike. Took a quick peak at the swim course, just long enough to get butterflies in my stomach, and then headed home. It was amazing to have my best friend with me (who's also racing) to freak out with. We got it all off our chests and then promised to zen out, or at least try, for the rest of the day.

I've gone over my check list (below) several times, gone through how the race and transitions will go in my head, packed my bag, set up my breakfast and meet-up spots with my friends and family who will be cheering me on, etc. I'm lucky enough to live across the street from the head of our training program, so I have a ride down at 4am tomorrow morning with someone who can comfort my last minute anxieties. I think I can confidently say I'm ready. I'm not really sure how I'm supposed to get a good nights sleep when I have a 3am wake up call, but that's what last night was for...
RACE DAY CHECKLIST

Transition
- Triathlon bag (to bring stuff in & store a change of clothes for after race)
-Towel (spread on ground and layout gear for bike and run)
- Sunscreen (apply before race begins)
- Shorts, t-shirt, dry socks, flip-flops or sneakers for post-race change
- Post-race recovery drink and/or nutrition

Swim
- Swim suit or Triathlon race suit
- Cap
- Swim goggles (think about bringing an extra pair for backup)
- Wetsuit
- Anti-chafe stuff (for use around neck of wetsuit, and other places)

Bike
- Bicycle (with race # on it) (remember to check tire pressure)
- Helmet (with race number stuck to it, if required)
- Cycling shoes
- Socks
- Cycling pants and top (if not wearing a Triathlon race suit)
- Sunglasses
- Bike gloves (recommend not using as changing slows you down).
- Sports drink (2 bottles – on bike)
- Nutrition bars (taped to bike, in bento box, or in back pocket of jersey)
- Gels (Goo or other type of gel)
- Spare inner tube (or tubes) and CO2 Cartridge (on bike)

Run
- Running shoes
- Hat
- Race number (on race belt – otherwise make sure it is pinned to your jersey before race starts & think about bringing a bunch of extra safety pins, just in case).

Taper (and other race week tips)

Some thoughts on TAPER (from Mark Fitzgerald):

"The period of relative rest that precedes a race is called a taper. A well-executed taper increases your blood volume, maximizes carbohydrate fuel storage, increases aerobic enzymes, and enhances tissue repair, thereby rendering you better prepared for a peak performance.

"For short races, your taper period can last four days to a week. For somewhat longer events, a week to two weeks of tapering is typical when a peak performance is sought. For long-distance events, the taper can last two or three weeks.

Reduce your training volume by 30 to 40 percent per week of tapering. For example, if you're tapering two weeks for a peak half-Ironman triathlon and you did 20 hours of training in the last heavy week before the taper, you might do about 13 hours of training in the first week of tapering and about 8 hours in the final seven days before the race."

My three thoughts on tapering:

1. You've trained -- no amount of training you will add this last week will improve your performance;

2. Don't do a "drop dead taper" -- using this as an excuse to stop training altogether -- you want to grade your taper (gradually reduce training intensity and length) to zero by the day before;

3. Get plenty of rest (sleep) on race week…and hydrate well (small amounts of fluid regularly throughout the day) -- these two things are probably worth as much as any training you will do during this week.

Basically, if you have been eating reasonably well, there is no need to do anything different the week before the race. Two nights before the race, get a well-balanced meal (protein, plenty of vegetables and fruit, complex (low-glycemic index) carbohydrates) – this will create the stored energy you will need for the race. Get to bed early.

The night before, eat early and eat light – you want this meal to get through your system before the race starts – you don’t need something heavy sitting in your stomach all night while you are trying to sleep. Make sure you get breakfast in the morning before the race.

The Course

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