Tri Shark

In the last 2 weeks, my training has been...shall we say...non-existent? That's right, I have taken more "rest" days in the past 2 weeks than I have in the months of Jan-Apr combined. The combination of oral surgery (which took more out of me and was more painful than expected) and work in the past couple weeks has left me with very little time and motivation to train. And, once again, another race sneaks up on me.

I got home from work on Friday very late and scrambled for my triathlon checklist. My bike has been sitting in the closet since Memphis in May and I wasn't going to have time for, nor did I feel like, a test ride. My goggles have also been sitting dormant since MIM. And my running shoes sit where I kicked them off the minute I got home from the Ridge Run. With all those things going for me, I wasn't holding too much hope for myself today. I kept telling myself, "It's just a sprint. No big deal."

The thing is, races of all distances can be tough. It all depends on the amount of effort you put in. So a sprint can be just as tough as Ironman. (Did I just say that?) OK, well, maybe not...but a sprint CAN be just as tough as an Olympic-distance triathlon. And this race wasn't really a true sprint. The swim, my strength, is shorter than the standard sprint distance race. This doesn't play into my favor, and I began wondering why in the world I signed up for this race!

We arrived in transition later than usual and all the "good" spots on my rack were taken. I ended up in the very last rack of my wave and I figured it probably wasn't going to make much difference anyway. I had a little mental block when I set my bag down and couldn't remember how to lay out my things. It was almost like I had never done a triathlon before and I struggled to get the things out in the order I'd need them. I caught up with Kim K. and she ended up racking her bike just a few down from mine and I welcomed the company so close by.

Kim and I went to find BC and RT for a short warm-up run. JQ had already gotten his in and JM was out warming up on his bike. I saw lots of familiar faces, and quite honestly, I'm starting to find that is a detriment as it's very distracting. When I first started triathlon and knew no one, I was very methodical and religious about my pre-race rituals. Today, it was obvious I was winging it.

After the run, we're back at the bikes and Kim and I get the last of our things together and start putting on the wetsuits. Most of the other athletes are down at the beach and we missed seeing the first wave go off. I am feeling very last-minute about everything and having a hard time staying focused on what I was here to do.

As we walked toward the water, I was bummed by how short the swim looked. For someone like me, it takes me a good 200-300 yards to warm up before I can put it on cruise control. The distance of this swim meant that soon after I'd hit my stride, the swim would be over! I saw fellow Luna Chix, Liz, who wanted to tuck in behind me for a draft in the water. Kim and I wished each other luck as we were called into the water.

There was a 10 second countdown and our wave was started! With just a few strokes, I could see 2 women even with me on the left. A couple breaths to the right and I could see no one there. I headed straight for the buoy and wanted the 2 women on the right to slide in front, but no, they were a little further out, so right at the turn, I believed them to have tucked in behind me. The next stretch was nice and smooth and I only had a few people to swim around. The final turn put me right into a pack of the pink-capped athletes - the women under 30 wave. It was a bit of a cluster for about 10-15 seconds as I struggled for a clean path straight for the finish. I couldn't really see the finish and I hoped this pack of ladies was headed in the right direction!

I kept swimming and I knew the end was near. I like to swim as far as I can before I stand up. I was headed full-steam for the finish and all of a sudden, my right arm slaps some guy in the back. He was walking well before where he should have been and it completely took me off guard. And now since he broke my momentum, I stood up prematurely. I ripped off the cap and goggles and see a woman just in front of me. Son of a beotch, she must've drafted off me the whole time after that first turn! Damn, she's a good swimmer and an excellent drafter...I never even knew she was there! I thought about trying to out-sprint her to the T1 mat and then thought it wasn't worth it. She clocked exactly 1 second faster than me.

Here's where the race began to fall apart for me. I ran to the bike rack, but couldn't find my bike. I yelled out a couple of unpleasantries as I ran back and forth along the racks of bikes for my age group. I could not believe this was happening. It's such a rookie move to not be able to find your stuff. And this race was so small, there was really no excuse for it. The volunteers in transition were probably cracking up at the sight of me running back and forth like a chicken with my head cut off trying to find my bike. I felt like they all looked the same. I was in this bad dream and I couldn't wake up!

After what felt like 10 minutes, I finally found my bike and now the adrenaline was pumping so hard, I was shaking pretty hard. I found it difficult to steady myself to get my socks and shoes on. And I also knew that drafter girl was getting a lengthy head start on that bike.

I get to the end of transition and to the dismount line and it was crowded with athletes. Then a guy fell down not 10 feet from the start. He got up and tried to get going, and he was really unsteady. I couldn't figure out which way to go around him because he kept turning his front wheel erratically! Dude, next time, put the bike in an easy gear before you start! After all that chaos, I finally was out and pumping on the bike.

The roads were a bit rough the first several miles. I was struggling to catch my breath and was trying to mentally bring my heart rate down. I needed to just settle in. Pains shot through my quads and I chastised myself for being such a slacker in the past few weeks. Of course it hurts when you don't train, I told myself! I passed a few people here and there. And about 5-6 miles into the course, there she was: drafter girl. The unmistakeable one-piece blue swimsuit was easy to spot. I thought of Lori and how she must "break spirits" by blowing by someone at the speed of light. See, the trick is to pass with "authoritAY". As I rode by, I did yell to her "nice swim!" She didn't yell anything back, so I rode on trying to keep a nice, steady pace. There were more hills and harder hills than I expected on the ride. At one point, when my speedometer read 12, I thought I had a flat, I was going so slow! How is it that during some of my races, I've gone down to 3mph? Ugh! Where is the downhill on this course? There were also some stretches where I felt like I was just flying, only those don't last as long as you'd like!

Just as I got up the longest hill of the day, I heard a woman yell something to me...and it was Liz! Holy crap, that girl can ride a bike! And her passing me is just what I needed to kick it back into high gear. I accused her of "toying with me" as I passed her back with less than a minute of riding left. And we rode into T2 at the same time. We got caught up in a little bit of chaos again and I felt like there were people just running around everywhere with their bikes! In reality, it was probably just one person that cut me off as I made my way back to my transition area.

Thankfully, it didn't take me long to find my stuff in this transition! I made what felt like a pretty quick transition and got out onto the run course. And then Deanna (another fellow Luna Chic!) scoots on past me. She's quite the little runner! She made it look so easy! I could hear myself breathing hard and, as has been the case in all my races this year, I wondered if other racers were annoyed by it. I could ALSO hear Liz's footsteps behind me. I thought I was giving it everything I had and I was extremely disappointed when I hit the mile 1 mark and saw I had only clocked an 8:15. I was faster during my 10K in Memphis. Once again, I berated myself for being such a slacker in my training. I was breathing even heavier now and I wondered how much longer I could keep this up.

I got to see JQ and BC on their way back in. And in true MJ fashion, the second mile was faster than the first. It made me a little happier, but I also started thinking that I had a whole more mile to do and it just seemed like a long way. I wondered how the heck I can do a marathon when I feel so crappy with having run just 2 miles, and they weren't really that fast! I was passed by a few women, but I was passing more people than were passing me and it felt good. It's so rare that happens for me (damn all those fast runners!). I saw Kim on her way out, just behind me and I could see she was making up ground fast! And at the mile 3 mark, the split was the fastest yet, and I wonder why it is that I do that! I really felt like I was giving it my all in the first mile, yet it was obvious that wasn't the case.

The last tenth of a mile went by painfully slowly and I could hear people I knew cheering me in. I wanted to smile and give a cheer back, but I was breathing too hard. I just needed to finish.

This was the first time I'd done this race, and I'd have to agree with BC, it's a great one! Close to home, small, competitive, great venue, good post-race spread and lots of familiar faces. And even better than that, it was so short, I feel like I could go out and do it all over again tomorrow!

Memphis in May

It’s been so long since I made a blog post. In the past 2 weeks, I have been terribly busy, yet I’m not quite sure why. I have lots of things to write about, but I simply haven’t been able to find the time to get the thoughts down.

So, the recap of Memphis will be short, but sweet, as the event was almost a week ago already.

Since there were 5 of us, we planned to drive down in 2 cars and caravan all they way down to Memphis. We started our 8 hour journey on Friday because Lori was racing on Saturday, and the rest of us would race on Sunday. Thankfully, Lori and Chuck packed some good sandwich food which we really appreciated! We had a little picnic on the hood of their Durango.

One we got to Memphis, we decided to head right to the Expo so Lori could pick up her packed for the next day. We parked the car and as we walked toward the Expo, I started to remember all the things from when I did this race in 2005. Memphis’ expo is outside, under tents. They were pretty strict about presenting your USAT card and BC had to go back to the car to get his current card before they’d let him pick up his packet. And though there were only about 5 people in front of me in the packet pickup line, it seemed like an eternity before I actually got through the line. I forgot, things down in Memphis move really slow compared to what we’re used to. Everyone is pretty friendly and they have that southern drawl that distinguishes the visitors from the townies.

The rest of the day was just grabbing some southern BBQ and getting some rest. Saturday’s mountain bike race didn’t start until 9:00am, so we all were able to sleep in a bit and have a quick breakfast at the hotel. The transition area was set up with wooden racks on the ground with a slot for each athlete’s bike tire. This was quite a difference from the usual aluminum poles where you hang your bike. Security was very, very lax for this race and everyone, athletes and spectators alike, were allowed in and out of the transition area without question.
I was able to sit in the transition area as I waited to see JQ and Lori run in from the swim so I could get some good pictures of each of them.


The weather was near perfect and I was told it would be a little warmer for tomorrow’s race. This was only the second time I’ve ever actually watched a triathlon without participating in it. It was nice to be wrapped up in the excitement of the race without having the pressure to do the race itself.
Once I saw Lori and JQ leave T1, I went to find out where the rest of the crew was. It seems they had been put to work by manning a water station right out of the swim.

Once we saw both JQ and Lori finish, Pat, Chuck, BC and I decided to get a quick ride in. We figured we’d ride a portion of the course and we started off OK. Unfortunately, once we turned around, we’d forgotten how we got there. We saw other triathletes riding around, so we weren’t far, but we couldn’t figure out how to get back! Chuck decided to ask one of the locals for directions and we made it back just fine, going about an extra 8 miles or so! We followed up the ride with a quick run and then BC and I wanted to jump in the lake just to test it out.

If given the opportunity, I really like to get in the lake before a race. Each body of water seems to be a little different. It could be temperature, color, weeds at the bottom, things floating in it, or a number of other things that are just nice to know before you get in for the race. Most importantly is the sighting on the way in. We like to go to the last or 2nd to last buoy from the finish and swim it in just like we’ll do on race day. It leaves you with fewer surprises.

I’m not sure sushi is the best pre-race meal, but that was the decision that was made. I’m not even sure what most of that stuff is, but I took Randy’s recommendation and it was pretty good and I know it’s rather loaded with sodium, and that’s got to help for tomorrow, right? I tried something that had some orange eggs on it, and though it didn’t taste bad, just the thought of chewing on eggs freaked me out a little bit. I seemed to keep Pat entertained with my hesitation to try any of this stuff and my questions about everything we ate. Then again, it doesn’t take much to keep her amused.

On race morning, we packed up all our things and were heading down to the lobby. Pat was a bit quicker than me to get out the door, so I did a last-minute room check and picked up a few remaining items. I then went to the elevator that already had 2 women in it and I got in with my bike. Two more triathletes ran down the hall with their bikes, but there was no room in this elevator. Before the elevator door closed, they hit the button again, our door opened. OK, just let us leave before you hit the button. Door starts to close again and one of them hit the button again – elevator door opens up. You’ve GOT TO BE KIDDING! QUIT IT! But they just giggled and I couldn’t have shot them a more disgusted look.

I finally get to the lobby, loaded down with my bike and bags, and it looks like we’re ready to go! Then my lovely elevator button pushing happy friends walk right over to the vehicle next to me. Great! They turn out to be from Chicago and are pretty friendly (though they need to learn how to work elevator buttons). They also look like they are in my age group and now I’m on a mission.

We caravan over to the race site, pump up our tires and walk the bikes over to the racks. There are about 5 times more athletes today than yesterday and the place is pretty much a zoo. If I hadn’t done this race before, I think I would’ve been a little frazzled. There were people lining up to be body marked when, if they just would’ve moved closer to transition, there were people with markers standing around with nothing to do. I saw Randy in transition and it seemed his rack was missing! I was proud of him as he was handling this little problem rather well. It ended up being a blessing in disguise as he had a sweet spot on the rack once they finally set it up.

With just a few minor last-minute re-arranging, I left transition with plenty of time. Memphis is a time trial start, so they start just one racer every 3 seconds. Most people really like this because it does lessen your chances of getting knocked around at the beginning of the swim; however, it’s not really my favorite way to start. First, I can’t find anyone to draft off of. Second, there seem to be people EVERYWHERE during the swim, as opposed to the “packs” of swimmers you find in normal wave starts. This causes me to sight way more than normal (and I sight a lot already).

The water felt refreshing and cool when I jumped in. It was getting toasty standing there with a wetsuit on! Right away, there were people to pass everywhere. And it got more crowded the longer I swam. I felt someone on my toes several times and I was only a little frustrated by it. But then about half way through the back stretched, she pulled around me and I thought “Wow, she’s really fast!” and I swam like hell to jump on her feet. And just as I started to settle into a nice draft behind her, I noticed her turning right…wait, this isn’t where we turn, we have one more buoy to go to! I slowed, picked up my head and looked to the right. I saw about 6-7 swimmers turning right and I wondered if I should go with them. But then I looked ahead and I was certain I saw another orange buoy with other swimmers headed toward it. So, I swam straight and let the fast girl swim off to the right.

I started to push the pace a little bit as I moved in closer to the shore line. I felt better toward the end of the swim than I did in the beginning. I got out of the water and glanced at my watch. I saw “20:16” and thought to myself, “dammit, the course is short!” When swimming is your strength, that is the only leg of the race that you do NOT want to be short! It bummed me out for about 30 seconds. I had a decent T1, though I always feel very shaky when I’m trying to put on my bike shoes.

Once out on the bike, I was shivering. Getting out of a lake and immediately jumping on a bike in the cool morning air never feels really good to me. I was passed by 2 women within the first mile. I came back to get in front of one, but the other one dropped me with ease. The course was hillier than I remembered. I noticed my bike computer still read "SLEEP" and there was no way I was going to stop and try to get it to work. It was frustrating, but it was also my own fault as I didn't check to see that it was working once I got the bike set up in transition. I jockeyed back and forth with a guy on an Orbea for at least 5 miles. This dude would get in front of me, slow down, I'd pass, then he'd come back with a vengance just to make sure he was in front of me. Really annoying! The course also had more turns than I remember and there were lots of people taking them wide. I was yelled at by another athlete because he thought he could sneak by me during a turn...on my right. WTF??!? And HE'S yelling at ME??!?! The anger was good for a short burst of energy.

Two more women catch up with me, both in their 20s, and I pick up the pace to try to stay with them. Orbea guy is just ahead and I tell them that they MUST pass him. The road was pretty narrow and I think they must've changed the course from 2005 because I don't remember this. But then we went by some military station and I DO remember that...I also remembered that it meant the bike was almost over. I try to push a little harder and get ahead of Orbea boy just to show him who's boss.

I roll slowly into T2...couldn't go fast as it was a bit crowded with athletes dismounting. I get to my rack and I'm bummed that I see 2 bikes already back. See, if I didn't beat them in the swim and the bike, it was highly unlikely that I'd catch them in the run. But since we all have different start times, you just never know who's really ahead of you.

I rack the bike, take off my helmet and switch shoes, grab my had and some gels, and I'm off. I feel pretty sluggish, but I've come to learn that the feeling is mostly in my head. I missed the first 2 mile markers, but I started to notice signs on the side of the road "Just 3 and you're free" and I looked down to see a pink number 3 painted on the side of the road. I hit my watch as I passed it and realized I was on a pretty good pace. That's good, because I heard myself breathing heavy. I was actually PASSING people on the RUN! I wondered to myself if I was going too fast because I was really feeling it. The course was an out and back, so I was able to see Tobey, JQ, BC and Chuck on my way back in. I was so happy to be on my way back IN! I counted the miles down backwards and tried to convince myself that I could keep this pace until the end. The run course was every bit as hilly as I remembered it to be. We were now in the parking lot on the other side of the park and as I turned the corner I could see the finish. The Memphis run finish is a long stretch down a grassy area...I forget what they call it..a burm or something like that. I call it hell. At least, that's what I called it 2 years ago. This time, I felt much better as I was running down that last stretch. AND, I even passed a guy on my way in. I'm so used to being the person that is passed left and right, it feels like a major accomplishment when I can actually pass someone else on the run. Right toward the end, there is a steep, small downhill and I heard the announcer butcher my name as I came down that hill. I crossed the line and hit my watch...not at fast as I wanted, but still a time that I'm happy with.

I stood around at the finish cheering everyone else in. After a while, I went over to the make-shift showers they set up for the racers. Some guy heard me say I was from Chicago and he asked in amazement, "You mean, you came all the way from Chicago for this little race??" Yep. Memphis is a race that's definitely worth the trip.