Race objective: give it everything you’ve got today! Still race smart – don’t spend it all on the swim, and definitely don’t spend it all on the bike, but you can rev it up a tad more than you have so far. Keep it even on the run and bring it home hard for a negative split.
Weather considerations: high humidity but great temperature. Listen to your body on hydration – take in that water!
Swim [25:39]: lining up: it’s so humid my eyelids are sweating, holy cow. Trying 5-5-5 breathing to calm down after stuffing myself in the tight sleeveless wetsuit. This helps a lot to get focused. Line myself just left of center and in the front row. Bitches tear out like bats out of hell. I do not follow in the flailing but do mark a quarry for potential drafting. I test my pacing and find a nice mark to pull me along to the turnaround. I’m nice about it and hang off her toes without getting in her way or tapping her feet. Her pace is perfect. After the turnaround we peel apart to begin dodging the swimmers from the waves in front. Thankfully this doesn’t seem as big a struggle as years’ past. My shoulders feel strong, my hand feels like oars, and my stroke and breathing are lock step and steady. Crowd thins a bit and my mark comes back into sight. I get back on her toes briefly, but then pull away as I feel her slowing a bit. I charge onward to the last yellow buoy. Swim feels shorter than they have so far this year. Make it to the exit. First leg DONE and right on time. 7th AG, top 6% OA.
T1 [4:39]: Strip wetsuit at swim exit to avoid getting stuck on chip. Miss getting into my swim-out shoes so wind up carrying them with me instead. Wet wetsuit and shoes are kinda heavy. Start losing a little steam approaching the arch. See that I’m one of the first few out so pick it up to my spot. Swim stuff down, helmet on, shoes on and away we go. See a younger CTC’er speed past in tennies. Careful this time not to run on the cleat (calf-cramp inducing) even though it’s a little slower, smooth mount. 3rd AG, top 4% OA.
Bike [1:14:33]: Take it easy up the ramp to enter LSD – not the place to spend it. Stay in an easy gear until ready to descend. Then kick it into big ring and take a peek at HR. A little high (160) but not too bad with that first climb. Legs feel so smooth. Fall into a nice high cadence, feels right to pick up the gears to find the balance of Watts to RPM. Settle in around 159W and 105RPM. LSD loop feels fast and smooth and not overworked. Geared perfectly. Not a single person passed me until the very end (2 dudes on way too expensive bikes). Took gel at minute 41:00 just before the climb to hook onto Wacker. Flipped visor up for better visibility in the batcave. Smart move, but road wasn’t too bad. Cornered well. Power dropped a few watts here. Then we hooked onto the busway. Finally starting to feel subtle elevation changes in my quads, but not too badly. Found it more difficult to keep a steady cadence here. Focused on cadence and HR with <5 mi to go. Final turn back to transition, spinning high and focusing on deep breathing. Notice that I might beat the 1:15:00 mark – YASSS! 9th AG, top 37% OA. Saw David I think three times riding the course to find me – awesome to see him and glad I didn’t NEED him to get my head in the game here.
T2 [1:46]: slip out of my shoes on the bike for an easier run into transition. Not practice, but not too difficult w/ nobody around and slowing enough to take it carefully. Great move – calves would have cramped and shoes would have sunk in the mud. Set up legs for a better start to the run plus didn’t have to remove bike shoes! Shoes on, tighten laces, grab sunglasses/visor/bib and away we go. 2nd AG T2 and top 3% overall. Jeff will be proud!
Run [57:35]: Feeling gooooooooood. A little too good. See Jeff on the way out who reminds me to take it easy for starters. Check watch – 8:00/mi, slow it down. See David by swim start who also reminds me to take it easy to start. Check watch – 8:55/mi. Better, but not quite enough. Fall into a very comfortable and super steady 9:10/mi pace for the first three miles. Notice my pace/steadiness fall off a little when I slow for the water stops and have to recenter. The first 5k feels great, even down to the turnaround I’m feeling really solid. Next water stop slows me up a bit for some reason. Taking Skratch + water due to small stitch forming on my right side. At mi 4 I decide its do or die and kick up the pace. Now I’m actively aiming for 8:45’s. Feels pretty good to start, just hard to recenter out of the water stop (legs want to start locking). Feeling good, HR now high 160’s but I know I can manage 170’s, so I press on. Some fast chicks pass me as I’m starting to falter with about ¾ mile to go. Want to throw up a little, just a tad. Just before the downhill around the Shedd, I really can’t breathe and am failing. It’s hard, I’m hot, my feet hurt like a mofo. David reminds me the downhill is just around the corner. I press on. Now I know I just need to seize a few more corners then the finish line will be in sight. I keep going, my form is not great at this point. I pass a few people, then hit the tiny uphill before the right onto Columbus. I want to surge here, I try, but this is not the right place to surge. I ease up the hill, then try to surge to the end. It seems so close but so far! My legs doth protest. I manage a very slight surge to the finish, but hardly. Once I finish I am super winded, my feet hurt like hell, and I want to dunk myself in icewater. I think I beat 2:45 and that makes me happy! Run rank 46, but I only lost one position from the bike – WOOOO!!!! 2nd fastest 10k time ever! GREAT DAY!
Jeff tip: tearing out of T1 may have had to do with final mile collapse. If first mile was even 8:45/8:50, could have pulled of a minute or more for the finish. Would have gained 5 places!
Overall [2:44:10]: SO HAPPY. I had a truly great race that was executed perfectly and on well-rested legs, FINALLY. I’m so happy with my performance and I know if this was a smaller race with shorter transitions I would have beat my 2:40 time goal. PR for this distance, and for this course. What’s not to be thrilled about?? Then I find out I got 10th AG!!! Nailed the season goal to quality for AGN again, finishing at 6% in my AG, 51/890 women (top 5%!!!), 475/2762 (17% OA). I mean, wow. Look how far I’ve come. And imagine if my run was even 0:40/mi faster and I would be nearly podium contention in my AG.
Jeff tip: could have hit <2:40 without shoes/wetsuit, better rack positioning, and not overheating on the run.
Weather considerations: high humidity but great temperature. Listen to your body on hydration – take in that water!
Swim [25:39]: lining up: it’s so humid my eyelids are sweating, holy cow. Trying 5-5-5 breathing to calm down after stuffing myself in the tight sleeveless wetsuit. This helps a lot to get focused. Line myself just left of center and in the front row. Bitches tear out like bats out of hell. I do not follow in the flailing but do mark a quarry for potential drafting. I test my pacing and find a nice mark to pull me along to the turnaround. I’m nice about it and hang off her toes without getting in her way or tapping her feet. Her pace is perfect. After the turnaround we peel apart to begin dodging the swimmers from the waves in front. Thankfully this doesn’t seem as big a struggle as years’ past. My shoulders feel strong, my hand feels like oars, and my stroke and breathing are lock step and steady. Crowd thins a bit and my mark comes back into sight. I get back on her toes briefly, but then pull away as I feel her slowing a bit. I charge onward to the last yellow buoy. Swim feels shorter than they have so far this year. Make it to the exit. First leg DONE and right on time. 7th AG, top 6% OA.
T1 [4:39]: Strip wetsuit at swim exit to avoid getting stuck on chip. Miss getting into my swim-out shoes so wind up carrying them with me instead. Wet wetsuit and shoes are kinda heavy. Start losing a little steam approaching the arch. See that I’m one of the first few out so pick it up to my spot. Swim stuff down, helmet on, shoes on and away we go. See a younger CTC’er speed past in tennies. Careful this time not to run on the cleat (calf-cramp inducing) even though it’s a little slower, smooth mount. 3rd AG, top 4% OA.
Bike [1:14:33]: Take it easy up the ramp to enter LSD – not the place to spend it. Stay in an easy gear until ready to descend. Then kick it into big ring and take a peek at HR. A little high (160) but not too bad with that first climb. Legs feel so smooth. Fall into a nice high cadence, feels right to pick up the gears to find the balance of Watts to RPM. Settle in around 159W and 105RPM. LSD loop feels fast and smooth and not overworked. Geared perfectly. Not a single person passed me until the very end (2 dudes on way too expensive bikes). Took gel at minute 41:00 just before the climb to hook onto Wacker. Flipped visor up for better visibility in the batcave. Smart move, but road wasn’t too bad. Cornered well. Power dropped a few watts here. Then we hooked onto the busway. Finally starting to feel subtle elevation changes in my quads, but not too badly. Found it more difficult to keep a steady cadence here. Focused on cadence and HR with <5 mi to go. Final turn back to transition, spinning high and focusing on deep breathing. Notice that I might beat the 1:15:00 mark – YASSS! 9th AG, top 37% OA. Saw David I think three times riding the course to find me – awesome to see him and glad I didn’t NEED him to get my head in the game here.
T2 [1:46]: slip out of my shoes on the bike for an easier run into transition. Not practice, but not too difficult w/ nobody around and slowing enough to take it carefully. Great move – calves would have cramped and shoes would have sunk in the mud. Set up legs for a better start to the run plus didn’t have to remove bike shoes! Shoes on, tighten laces, grab sunglasses/visor/bib and away we go. 2nd AG T2 and top 3% overall. Jeff will be proud!
Run [57:35]: Feeling gooooooooood. A little too good. See Jeff on the way out who reminds me to take it easy for starters. Check watch – 8:00/mi, slow it down. See David by swim start who also reminds me to take it easy to start. Check watch – 8:55/mi. Better, but not quite enough. Fall into a very comfortable and super steady 9:10/mi pace for the first three miles. Notice my pace/steadiness fall off a little when I slow for the water stops and have to recenter. The first 5k feels great, even down to the turnaround I’m feeling really solid. Next water stop slows me up a bit for some reason. Taking Skratch + water due to small stitch forming on my right side. At mi 4 I decide its do or die and kick up the pace. Now I’m actively aiming for 8:45’s. Feels pretty good to start, just hard to recenter out of the water stop (legs want to start locking). Feeling good, HR now high 160’s but I know I can manage 170’s, so I press on. Some fast chicks pass me as I’m starting to falter with about ¾ mile to go. Want to throw up a little, just a tad. Just before the downhill around the Shedd, I really can’t breathe and am failing. It’s hard, I’m hot, my feet hurt like a mofo. David reminds me the downhill is just around the corner. I press on. Now I know I just need to seize a few more corners then the finish line will be in sight. I keep going, my form is not great at this point. I pass a few people, then hit the tiny uphill before the right onto Columbus. I want to surge here, I try, but this is not the right place to surge. I ease up the hill, then try to surge to the end. It seems so close but so far! My legs doth protest. I manage a very slight surge to the finish, but hardly. Once I finish I am super winded, my feet hurt like hell, and I want to dunk myself in icewater. I think I beat 2:45 and that makes me happy! Run rank 46, but I only lost one position from the bike – WOOOO!!!! 2nd fastest 10k time ever! GREAT DAY!
Jeff tip: tearing out of T1 may have had to do with final mile collapse. If first mile was even 8:45/8:50, could have pulled of a minute or more for the finish. Would have gained 5 places!
Overall [2:44:10]: SO HAPPY. I had a truly great race that was executed perfectly and on well-rested legs, FINALLY. I’m so happy with my performance and I know if this was a smaller race with shorter transitions I would have beat my 2:40 time goal. PR for this distance, and for this course. What’s not to be thrilled about?? Then I find out I got 10th AG!!! Nailed the season goal to quality for AGN again, finishing at 6% in my AG, 51/890 women (top 5%!!!), 475/2762 (17% OA). I mean, wow. Look how far I’ve come. And imagine if my run was even 0:40/mi faster and I would be nearly podium contention in my AG.
Jeff tip: could have hit <2:40 without shoes/wetsuit, better rack positioning, and not overheating on the run.
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