PR x 2!!!

My sister and I


I'd like to say it happens just as easily as putting pen to paper (fingers to keyboard) but we all know that's anything but true.

It's probably a combination of hard work, stubbornness and a little luck. Because really, everything has to come together at just the right time and place. Training has to fall in line. Rest and sleep are needed. Illness has to stay at bay (and we all know that depends on a good chunk of luck). Lastly, mother nature can't throw a whammo at you in the form of 100F heat and 10 mph winds.

Happily things came together for me last weekend at the Chisago Lakes Half. I had a good, solid day with PR's on BOTH the bike and run. Even though the place standings didn't show it (4th in my age group and 16th woman overall) I had a 'nothing to complain about' day!

Swim
It's always hard with the swim. You never know if a course is accurately marked or not. Really, the best you can do is see where you end up in comparison to the mass and figure out if that's good for you. It was a foggy morning. I mean REALLY foggy. I couldn't see the buoys out ahead of me. I basically tried to swim straight and hope the guy in front of me was going the right way. It was an out and back course and I admit, I was one of those dorks that crossed the center line and collided with another swimmer going the other way. I apologized as profusely as I could for 2 seconds and then got back down to my business. Just once though....I only hit someone once!! I swear. I finished in 35:20 which was 36th out of 189 overall. 19th percentile. Plus, I actually felt good! I kind of enjoyed it and wasn't totally wishing for the end.

T1
My husband and daughter were volunteers at this race. They were wetsuit strippers which they didn't expect! I tried to get them in T1 but they were busy with another racer. Instead I ended up with a 13 year old looking boy who I coached the whole way. "Pull, pull, pull." Here's where I'll admit I haven't gotten a bit obnoxious over the years. Transition is not a playground. That's what my daughter once told me years ago. In other words, I don't look at transition as a time to catch my breath and take it easy. Literally, every second counts. And if you're going to take your time in transition, move off to the side. I hate it when I'm running from the water to my bike and people are SLOWLY taking up the whole path. I find myself quietly but insistently saying things like, "go, go, go". Some get mad and yell at me, other just move over. Whatever. I can honestly say, I really don't care. Just move over.

Bike
My bike time was a PR at the half distance. And the course was legit. My average power was not a PR. But, when you're racing, what really matters....your power number or your time? I did an honest-to-goodness fit on this bike at Gear West this spring and I think it has really helped. I feel great in the aero position and never lift unless it's to climb a hill. I've never felt this comfortable in the past. However, racing with power is what ultimately brought me to this PR. I had a definite strategy and power targets which varied throughout the race. Numbers are my friends. It's a long time out on the bike and, honestly, it can get a little monotonous. Having something concrete to wrap my brain around works for me. 2:40:13
T2
Uneventful
Run
Another PR! My fastest pace on a run for a half was last year at an 8:02 average pace. That was my goal for this race, anything under an 8:02 pace. I did not wear a watch in the swim or on the bike. The plan was to put the Garmin on at the beginning of the run. Yes, and wouldn't you know, the stupid thing will not locate a satellite. It kept asking me if I was 'inside'. I pissed around with it during the first mile of running trying to get it to work. Finally, I just gave up. I didn't need it. I had the confidence in myself to know what I could do. So, I just ran. Run, Forest, Run. Isn't that just the best way to go? Well, I do know that I slowed toward the end of the race. And I do know that my stupid left foot was numb from mile 2-7. This has happened to me before. The elastic laces get too tight cutting off circulation to my foot. And it's always the left foot, I think because it's a tad bigger than the right. So, I spent some time at aid stations trying to loosen my shoelace so I could feel my foot again. Eventually it came around. What a pain! Anyway, my average pace was 7:50 per mile. Once again, the course was legit. OK, I'm going to say this again because I've said it before......"I never thought I'd see the day when I would do this." Now I daydream of seeing this pace drop even further. 1:42:47

Finish
My husband and daughter also helped at the finish line, cutting off chips and directing traffic. Jack told me that the top 2 women in the half literally collapsed after they crossed the finish line. Now maybe that is the difference between me and them. I never collapse! I may feel like death. But I never collapse! Makes me question if I'm not trying hard enough! I don't know if I could even push myself to that point. Self-preservation kicks in way too hard. Anyway, I finished hard and strong. Ultimately, I was pleased with my day. 5:02:04 Yes, yes, I missed cracking the 5:00 mark. But there will be more races to come.

Future
From here on out.... it's all about IRONMAN. I am dreaming about it and thinking about it constantly. Up until this point I've been focusing on short course racing and speed. On to the long stuff. Lots of miles. I am a bit freaked because I feel like I'm behind in my training. But, ultimately, I think I'll be ok. I've got 5 Ironmans under my belt. I know what it's like. And I truly believe Ironman is as much a contest of the mind as it is the body. Whoever is the nastiest wins! 9/11/11. Time to bring on the nasty!