Subaru Race Report

It certainly feels like it has been a full season, even though I've only been at it since June. After getting sick at Pacific Coast, I really wanted Subaru to be my "A" race, but sometimes life hands you surprises that cut into training time and "taking care of yourself" time. So I came into Sunday feeling healthy, but perhaps not as prepared as I should have been. FYI, hubby failed. He's done. I can't talk about it, but suffice it to say, it certainly weighed heavy on me today out there on course!

I was dehydrated when I woke up, and it seems I just couldn't hydrate myself in the 2 1/2 hours leading up to the race. I got my end spot at the race and I have to admit, it was pretty sweet being position right smack dab between the swim in and bike out. I mean, it was awesome. So I got everything set up, chatted, pumped tires, used the potty, and basically tried to stay calm before they kicked us out of transition. The walk from transition down to the water was pretty rough on the tootsies, and since I had to use the potty again, I missed the whole jazzercise warmup thing. But really, I thought it sounded pretty cool. What a way to relieve some stress! The race start was really emotional for me this time around. Blame it on hormones or circumstance, but I cried like a baby when the Triumph wave went off. I felt such a sense of pride seeing our own cancer survivor teammates start us off in the race. But I finally pulled myself together and got into the water for our swim start.

Ahhh, the treading water start. I initially thought I would enjoy it because oftentimes, in my mad dash to the ocean, I trip as soon as I hit the water and faceplant into the water in front of my entire wave and everyone else who is still watching. So I was excited that today there would be no public humiliation at the start. But instead, there were people who thought they swam fast who got in the very front of the wave and flailed around at the start, proving to be a most difficult barrier to pass!! I got kicked, groped, and grabbed more times in this race than in any of the others this season (okay, just Pacific Coast and Santa Barbara, but still). Instead of "settling" into my swim like I normally do, I tried to push it a little harder than usual. In retrospect, I wish I'd done more, but my body felt a little sluggish out there and I couldn't generate the power that I knew I could in my stroke. I was feeling pretty bad about the whole swim until I hit the blue caps in front of me, then straightened out and headed in to shore. Not having waves take me out on the return to shore was worth the price of admission, that is for sure.

So, into transition I go. Was tired coming out of the water, but it was a good tired. Hit the mat in a decent time, then whipped off the wetsuit and changed into my shoes. Got the bike over the mat and actually managed to clip in on the first try. Now, in other races, I wasted SO MUCH TIME trying to get my feet into the cages....having clips was shockingly easier. And it was only my 3rd ride in them, so imagine my surprise at the ease of getting going so quickly. I headed out on the bike and tried to play with my gears to see what I could push. Unfortunately, I hadn't been able to take my bike in for a much needed tuneup before the race (got to love last-minute travel and your company being acquired!), so it wasn't shocking when my bike decided it didn't want to go into the big ring up front. But when it wouldn't even ride in the little ring in back, I knew it was going to be a rouch day. Rather than grind my gears and ruin my chain, I stuck with the gear that provided the most resistance and the least amount of grinding.....and I really could only sustain an 18.5 mph average for the whole race. This was a little disappointing, because this was a flat time trial race and I really wanted to push myself out there and see what I could do. In Long Beach, I was hitting 23 mph on my straights and easily sustaining. Here, I was lucky to see 20 and 21 with the gears I had to work with. All in all, it was an okay bike. I pedaled as fast as I could, but I really felt like I left a lot on the table.

Coming in from the bike, my hands and feet were totally numb. This was an entirely new feeling for me, and so the scientist in me was thinking, "what could this be? Sodium? Dehydration? Hypoglycemia?" I was a little freaked out. So I grabbed 2 shot bloks in transition, sucked them down with some Cytomax, and hoped it was a sugar thing. My heart rate was racing and my quads were a little crampy, and unlike most races where I can usually get the heart rate down while running, I had to walk 3 times in my first mile. Eventually the numbness went away, the tightness went away, and I settled into my run pace. Too bad it took a mile and I'd already blown my time......my first mile ended up adding 4 minutes to my mile pace, so I had to pick it up in the end to try to salvage the race and make my goal time. (You guys have to understand, I am competitive with myself and I set these time goals for me every race.....it helps me to not compare myself to the other girls in my age group, and it sets the bar so that I push myself a little more than in training) I sprinted into the finish line after getting my lei from Kelly, and at the end, after the announcer said my name, I lost my Cytomax and shot blocks all over the finish line. It was pretty foul, but they handed me a towel, took my chip, and acted like people throw up all the time--- I hope they weren't just kidding. I was upset, though. I missed my goal time by a minute and a half, and I threw up at the finish line. My moment of glory! It was pretty emotional, and not in the good way.

All things considered, I did enjoy the race. Fantastic venue, awesome volunteers, and totally well-run. Compared to the chaos that was Long Beach (and sometimes Pacific Coast), it was exciting to see another race that was done well.

So can you believe it? After all the worry back in June, with Jynell's ushering, I signed up for Tridivas and I've finished my first full triathlon season. I've found a hobby that I love, met some amazing teammates who I now consider friends, am in the best shape of my life, and can't wait for more! Yes, those starts are brutal on me, but the sense of accomplishment I feel after completing each race more than makes up for the torture beforehand. I needed these triathlons so much this summer/fall. I feel so lucky to be a part of this amazing sport. (It really is, I swear.....I was competetitve in horseback riding and tennis through college, and I can honestly say that triathletes are a breath of fresh air)

With that, I'm going to go veg out with some Desperate Housewives and keep drinking.