"Barb's Race" HIM Report

[Veronica]

It's posted on our website now. You can click the link below to get there.

Veronica

[Tri Girl]

V- you're amazing, as was your RR!! Congrats on your race! I'm like you- the week before a race I'm a basket case and I have to remind myself that I "like" doing this. But without goals, I wouldn't get off the couch so I set them, train, then stress like you.

You're amazing, tho, and I'm super impressed with your race! Congrats!

Enjoy that fun sprint in September. Do it for the love of sport- not because you want those magic numbers in the sky! I like your attitude.

And Otter Pops at the turnaround? Now THAT'S what I'm talking about!

[SLash]

Veronica,

Great post, I really enjoyed reading it, especially about the swim. I'll be doing my first tri event in September, a Half Aquabike. The reality of that (and the accompanying stress) is starting to hit me - guess I'm getting started early with the "freakout".

It helps to know that even those with experience doing tri's still get nerves and self-doubts and it's just part of the process... I need to remember that!

Congrats on your race!

Susan

[tprevost]

Great job Veronica!!! Now I KNOW that Thom got more pics than that... Is he going to put more up? I wish I could have watched; it is so motivating to see so many athletes!!!

Enjoy your accomplishment!!!

[Veronica]

He really didn't get any more pictures than that. He didn't take any at the swim. The lighting wasn't great and really, how many shots of me in the water do you need? He left as soon as my wave started and went back to the hotel for the free breakfast.

Next year he's hanging around to get pictures of me with the wetsuit puller. I was bubbling over on the drive home about how the wetsuit pullers make T1 so much easier for me. He had no idea how they got the wetsuits off and thought it might make some interesting photos.

I really like the side on bike photo. It's a 90 degree corner there as you turn from one road to the next. I'm coming off a pretty good hill and there's a short, steep hill around the corner. The photo is at the apex of the corner and I'm doing about 25 mph. I was able to carry most of that momentum up the hill.

Veronica

[redrhodie]

Bummer that old injury popped up again right then. That must be really frustrating. Do you think there's some kind of tape or compression garment that will help keep that at bay on race days?

You look amazing, btw.

[Crankin]

I like the way you have a good attitude, despite the fact not everything was perfect. Enjoying the training is a good way to put the race in perspective.
Of course, I can't imagine having the perseverance to do this. Every time I think I'm tough, I am reminded what a wimp I am!

[Veronica]

Bummer that old injury popped up again right then. That must be really frustrating. Do you think there's some kind of tape or compression garment that will help keep that at bay on race days?

You look amazing, btw.

Thanks!

Yes, it is very frustrating. Generally rolling it, yoga and muscle balm at night, keep it at bay. After our vacation I hadn't been as on top of it as I had been. Also, I suspect in my eagerness for a PR I was probably using too big a gear on the rollers in the first 18 miles.

Veronica

[maillotpois]

Good job on completing the event - it sounds like things really went according to plan till you started having the pain. That's crummy - and just a reminder that there can be so much out of our control, no matter how well we plan.

And it sounds like you had fun - which is the key.

[Veronica]

Being totally obsessive - I'm now looking at data for four years of doing this race.

My transitions were really slow this year. In T1 I was stuck behind some people walking in and then I helped the woman who was racked next to me get her bike jersey on.

T2 had a totally different set up this year because of some new construction at the school. We had to walk (run) 3 to 4 times as far as we had to in the past. I actually ran a bit of it, but it was on a concrete sidewalk and in bike shoes it felt very jarring. I wasn't worried about slipping, more about how it felt on my joints. Probably 3 people asked where the run out was and I gave them directions.

My run and my bike were actually my second best times and the swim was only 3 seconds off my second best. Overall, I was only 3 minutes off my PR.

I have to say I was kind of surprised at how unprepared some people were about the logistics of the race. The organizers had sent out bucket loads of e mails about the race with info. Their website had everything laid out clearly. We needed to attend the pre race meeting before going to packet pick up. I watched three people get turned away from packet pick up because they hadn't gone to the meeting. The meeting for me, was a waste of time since no new info was presented. In multiple places it said no dogs. One woman wanted to take her dog into the pre race meeting. Then on race day, tons of dogs around. WTF - do the rules not apply to you? You had to have a USAT license - either a yearly or a one day - before you went into packet pickup. Two people got turned away for that. We had to know our race numbers before packet pickup... they were posted on the website and on a wall outside registration. People didn't know their numbers...

T2 had a totally different set up this year. After registration, I explored the bike in and the run out, making sure I knew where the bathrooms were and the first aid station. I do that at every race. Don't you want to know where you're going and where you can get water?

USAT rules are no listening devices on the bike or the run. A USAT official told a runner to take out her earphones. The runner replied, "Go ahead and dock me all the time you want. I'm keeping them in." Really... I wish they had DQ'ed her. Such flagrant disregard for the rules really irritates me. I would love to run the race with my Thumps on, music definitely helps me run. But it's against the freakin' rules!

Maybe I'm oddly obsessive, but I read everything on the race organizer's website and all the emails they send. For big events, I'm reading their Twitter feed. I want to be as prepared for the event as possible. I've got other stuff to stress about on race day...

Veronica

[sgf726]

Veronica,
Great job with the race, love the write up too. I wish I could swim that fast. Even with swimming 3-4 miles a week I am still slow.

My first HIM is in 3 weeks.

Have fun with the sprint in Sept

Sharon

[colby]

Great analysis - only 5 minutes off your PR with a nagging injury is really awesome. Not to mention how you felt on the swim - that's a huge victory and a reflection of your endurance.

Loved reading the report, and the pictures. I totally know what you are talking about between the "why do I do this" and the exercise in determination. Sometimes that's just what it is, and those longer races really test your mental determination along with the rest of you if something starts to go south. You dealt with it, you adapted, you adjusted your goals, you persevered, and you learned a lot.

I look forward to next year's report.

A fun sprint - that's my style. Just go all out and if something goes wrong, it's over in 2 hours or less anyway.

[spindizzy]

You do love what you're doing. Obsessing over the results and times and analyzing your race. Pacing is so important. (something I need to learn)
You did a great job to harness perserverance to finish that race. Congrats.

Officials are so strict in our races. The girl with the earphones would have been DQ'd not only for the earphone violation but talking back to the ref. People get DQ'd for going over the centre line on the road, not putting on their helmet on before unracking the bike, blocking..the list is endless. I don't understand why people don't read the rules..or don't think that the rules apply to them...