Frank Maples Triathlon

[btchance]

Hi girls, I just got home from a tri this morning. It went much better than expected, I averaged a 9min mile on the run (last year my best was 11min), and 17.7mph with hills and a head wind on the bike. Yeah!!! My swim wasn't anything to write home about, not even sure about the time yet. I'll get a race report up a bit later but thought I would let you gals know how it went (especially in comparision to last weekend).

[KSH]

WOW! You dropped 2 minutes per mile? Impressive. Sounds like you had a great race today!

I did my first tri of the season this morning too.

1) The swim was horrible. I zig-zagged, couldn't breathe, etc.
2) My bike was solid. I did a 17.1 mph average with hills and wind.
3) I ran almost the entire run. I walked all of about 10 feet. I got a side cramp, but kept going. I think if it hadn't been hilly, I would have not gotten a side cramp.
4) My transitions- will be my worst yet. HA!

Sounds like we both had the race gods smile on us today!

My race report will be posted once I get the offical times.

[Tri Girl]

:D Great job ladies!!!!

Congrats on dropping 2 min/mile BT!!!!!!! Awesome bike average also!!!Wooooo hooooo!!!!!
Do you have any pics??

Great job to you, too, KSH! Congrats on running most all the run! Think of how far you've come!

You both are doing fantastic this season!!! Keep it up!!!!

[colby]

Wow, awesome job BT! You too, KSH. Great work, ladies, keep it up!! :D

[rocknrollgirl]

Sounds like a good day all the way around. Great Job girls!!!!

[Wahine]

Way to go girls. It sounds like you both did really well on your bike and run. Yeah KSH for running pretty much the whole way!! and Wow 2 min per mi off for btc.

[Running Mommy]

WOW! Good job girlies!! Sounds like some solid racing early in the season! SWEET!

[btchance]

KSH - great job! I'm looking forward to hearing all about it :D

This morning I got up and out the door pretty quickly for an 1:10min drive. I'm trying some new things with nutrition and drank a Slim Fast for breakfast - doesn't seem to upset my stomach, and doesn't cause too many problems when I'm competing (especially when I'm fixing to start my period). Anyways, for a warm up I biked the run course, stretched a little, then did some strides before the run (it was a reverse tri).

The weather was pretty nice - 50s to start, probably about 60 to end. I just worse my regular tri clothing plus gloves and arm warmers.

The run was 2 miles, flat. I took off at a pretty hard pace, and kept my HR around LT. My main problem in the past was not pushing myself hard enough, so that is something I'm working on this year. I kept up the pace for 1 - 1.5mi, then had to slow down and control my breathing a little bit more. I looked at my watch coming into T1 and it was 18:02, so 9min mile for me. Yeah!! First time that has happened.

T1 went smoothly, got in and out in probably 1:40 or less. Either way, I was on my bike and moving by 20min in.

The bike went really well, averaging 17.7mph over 15miles. The majority was on a highway, and I definately felt like I was flying. For once, I was aero for most of the ride. The first 10miles were pretty flat, a few small rises but nothing significant. For this part I was averaging 18.4mph. The last 5miles had a few small hills - enough to slow you down a bit, but not significantly. By this point I was a little cooked and once I got through the hills couldn't keep up the pace and ended up at 17.7mph. One thing that helped me here was that there were enough people around where I had rabbits - pick one out ahead, pass them, and find the next. Until the end, I always had someone to chase, and by some miracle, I was never passed.

T2 didn't go quite as well, I had my HR monitor watch over the top of my arm warmers, so I had to extract that, and I just started to run out when I realized that my inhaler and nutrition was still in my pocket - quickly turn around and get rid of them, then get to the pool.

The swim was 200yards snaking in the pool, and the pool was hot. On the first lap I realized that my hair was not secured like I need it, and drove me nuts throughout the swim (and I had it braided to try and prevent this problem :mad: - I need to cut some off). Then my goggles started leaking and I had to readjust them part way. And my back started to cramp a bit on the first 100yards but worked out by the end, plus my arms were sore from being in the aero bars for that long (need more time in them). But the last 50yards came together finally, I got into a rhythm, then sprinted past somebody in the last 25yards. I think the swim was somewhere around 4-5min.

My time overall was 1:14, and I went into this knowing I could be under 1:30. I'm really happy with the run and bike, huge improvements made there, the swim will come together, especially if it's before the bike. It was the least of my worries for the moment.

My next tri is at the end of May. Until then it's long rides and runs to prepare for an Olympic in July.

As far as pics go, there were some taken by a friend, but it will be a while before they get to me. I'll let you know when I get them. There are pics from last weeks duathlon here, though, if you want to see what I mean by needing to cut some hair off. (I didn't realize it had gotten so long). http://www.brightroom.com/view_user_event.asp?EVENTID=17974&PWD=&BIB=1439 with a good example of hair problem here http://www.brightroom.com/view_user_photo.asp?EVENTID=17974&PWD=&ID=34042289&FROM=photos&BIB=1439

[Tri Girl]

Congrats on your race!!!! Sounds like you did AMAZING!!!!!! So very happy for you!!! Awesome run, bike and swim times- especially for so early in the season. I've never done a reverse tri, but it seems like they would be soooo much harder. There's a reason why the swim is first usually (nobody drowns when they're fresh :D ). You did great!!!! Thanks for the great race report! I look forward to you posting your pics when they come in.

Oh- and awesome pictures by the way (and you DO have a lot of hair ;) ). I was looking at that length and thinking "Locks of Love would die to get 10" of that hair" (and I'm only thinking that because I'm growing mine again to donate- not because I'm a weirdo). Thanks for posting your du pics (nice that they got so many of you)!!

[tprevost]

WOW! What a fabulous improvement on your run! Well done :D Also, you look great in your pics, I'm looking forward to seeing those that your friend took :D

Thank you for the great report!

[KSH]

Great job BT!

You were a speed demon on the bike and the run! Wonderful!

The Olympic will be a breeze.

Congratulations on a wonderful race.

[btchance]

Thanks girls - I appreciate the encouragement. Tri Girl - I hadn't thought of Locks of Love. When it comes time to chop some off I'll consider it.

[colby]

Thanks girls - I appreciate the encouragement. Tri Girl - I hadn't thought of Locks of Love. When it comes time to chop some off I'll consider it.

My hair reaches to my lower back (nearly my butt), I'm thinking of cutting it, too. It gets caught in my camelbak waist pack, gets super tangly when it's windy, is a pain in the rear to put in a swim cap/beanie, you name it. But... it's become so much a part of me it's hard to let go. :)

Locks of love might just be the way to justify cutting it off and not feeling so bad. I told my husband I should just cut it all off and go to spiked short hair. I don't know if I have the face type for that, though. ;)

[Tri Girl]

Wow, Colby, your hair is so long! I can understand what you mean about your hair being a part of you! When I cut mine last time, it was soooooo hard- but knowing that it went to a little kid who has permanent hair loss made me feel much better (but I kept the ponytail for like a month before I sent it off- yes, I'm that weird :rolleyes: ).
If you do cut it, good luck!! I like my hair long, but after so long it gets on my nerves, then I cut it and re-grow it out. Summer is especially hard with long hair because of all the sweat in the bike helmet, sticking to my arms and back- ick! I better cut it before June gets here! And think of all the money you'll save on conditioner and shampoo... :D

I'd love to do a short, short do- but I'm afraid it would make my already "thick" body look even thicker. Sounds so easy tho...

[colby]

Wow, Colby, your hair is so long! I can understand what you mean about your hair being a part of you! When I cut mine last time, it was soooooo hard- but knowing that it went to a little kid who has permanent hair loss made me feel much better (but I kept the ponytail for like a month before I sent it off- yes, I'm that weird :rolleyes: ).
If you do cut it, good luck!! I like my hair long, but after so long it gets on my nerves, then I cut it and re-grow it out. Summer is especially hard with long hair because of all the sweat in the bike helmet, sticking to my arms and back- ick! I better cut it before June gets here! And think of all the money you'll save on conditioner and shampoo... :D

I'd love to do a short, short do- but I'm afraid it would make my already "thick" body look even thicker. Sounds so easy tho...

My current pet peeve is when it's windy and warm enough to wear a t-shirt, and my hair whips around and sticks to the sweat on my arms when I run. Eeeewww. :( I hear you on the shampoo and conditioner. I really envy my husband and his 10 minute showers.

Ditto on the thick problem. I need one of those computers like they use for plastic surgery where they will tell me what I'll look like with super short hair, and an independent third party to say yea or nay. ;)