Update + Shawnigan Sprint Race Report

I was looking at my blog the other day and realized I haven't actually written much (or anything at all) about training lately. Since a training blog without any training deetz doesn't really make a whole lot of sense, I figured a little quick and dirty recap is in order, before jumping right into some details about my latest race (which happened to also be my first race since Auckland in late 2012 ~ yowza!).

Thankfully, the rest that I took while doing battle with the sickness that hit just before (and again during) our weekend in Coeur d'Alene did the trick and I started to bounce back fairly quickly. 

To be honest, there are a few more X’s on my calendar than I would usually like to see, but now that Shane is back working a regular job and our schedules aren't quite as fluid as they once were, finding a work/life balance and focusing on solid workouts has become a bit more of a priority lately. Quality vs. Quantity I suppose? (Not that the quantity still hasn't been pretty darn high, there has just been more juggling as of late – but I digress...).

I've had a couple really solid, BIG VOLUME, weekends that have left me feeling pretty confident in my ability to conquer the course in CdA. On top of that (and as mentioned above), I raced this past Sunday for the first time in ages. Plus, I've got another gigantic weekend on tap before things start to back off a bit, as IM CdA is just around the corner. (Ummm, how did that happen?)

That said, one area that I feel has suffered a little since my cold, is that I haven't been getting in the lake/pool as much as I would like and have been experiencing a bit of anxiety about the swim lately. Swim anxiety is not something I've ever really dealt with, so it is a bit of a foreign feeling to me. I know I can do the distance and I'm not actually that worried about contact with other swimmers, I just feel like I need to get in the water a little more in the coming weeks, so that will definitely be a priority. 

That's about that on the training front. I'm swimming (although maybe not enough), biking (and bike commuting) a fair bit, and running strong and consistent.

So, onto the race!

The race that I did this past Sunday was the sprint distance at the Subaru Shawnigan Lake Triathlon.

Overall, I was fairly happy with how the race went. Of course, after the fact there is always lots of “well, I could have done this better” and “I could have shaved off a bit of time here” but for the most part, I thought I accomplished what I set out to accomplish going into it, and it definitely served the purpose I was hoping it would.

So, what was it that I was looking to get from this race?

Two things: swimming with a group & ‘reigniting the flame’ so-to-speak.

More specifically put, the fact that it got me swimming in a group and not freaking out about being bopped around by other people was a biggie. Also, more importantly, I had fun and I think it did help re-spark a bit of my competitive spirit.

Oddly enough, I was SUPER nervous before this (go figure). All day Saturday my guts were a bit off, I barely slept Saturday night, and by the time I got in the water on Sunday morning I was literally shaking (and not because it was cold). Not sure if it’s just because I hadn't actually done a race since Auckland or what, but I was anxious to.the.MAX!

[I should specify when I say I haven’t done a race, I mean a triathlon, as I've done plenty of running events in the last year and a half].

Anyway, the swim... I did not swim as hard or as fast as I know I am capable of, but I really just wanted to get in the mix and feel comfortable while getting scratched and clawed and kicked and generally beat down. It was pretty congested, and I probably should have started a bit farther ahead of where I was, because I had to pass a lot of people right out of the gates (and got kicked in the chest multiple times by a woman who decided to line up front row and then breast stroke - wtf?), but I felt like it simulated what Ironman will feel like really well, in that I was constantly surrounded by people (until the last 100m or so) and so I was pleased with that. Also, I was really happy with how relaxed I was while I was getting kicked and smacked and what not.

Lovingly 'borrowed' from FinisherPix.

The parts of T1 that I was able to control were good. I was relaxed and smooth. That said, trying to run my bike out was frustrating! There was so much congestion and only a single file lane going up to the road. Because of the way it was setup, I was stuck behind people just sauntering along. It was super annoying as I knew I was losing time, but there wasn’t much I could do about it in the moment without being a total dick or being totally unsafe.

Let me clarify on that. You may be reading that and think, “what’s the big deal, it’s only a few seconds?” but transitions are one of my stronger areas (I can own that), and because of this, it is where I often make up some much needed time on my slightly faster competitors (especially in short course racing), so to get ‘stuck’ just kinda sucks. (It sucked even harder when after the race I realized I missed my age group podium by only 9 seconds ~ womp womp).

The bike was also bit frustrating, but not because of other people this time, more so because my body wasn't cooperating with my head.

I felt like I got a decent start and got into a groove pretty quickly, but then when I tried to push harder it was like my body would not shift into a higher gear and I could not seem to make myself go any faster (and sadly, I got passed A LOT!). My legs were just kind of jello-y. Zero Power Jell-O (trust me, this is not a flavour I would recommend). I was trying to push and trying to ride hard, and yet, I felt like I was a slug!

Needless to say, I was a bit disappointed with my overall time on the bike leg, as I know I have ridden (and can ride) that course much faster (I think this year was almost 3mins slower than when I did the race in 2012 ~ ouch). That said, I still had a lot of fun and really, if I rode that pace during Ironman, I'd be thrilled, so there’s that, haha.

Frustrated, but still smiling.

As with the one above, 'borrowed' from FinisherPix.

T2 was good (aside from having a bit of trouble getting my bike to stay on the rack – oops – which ate up a few seconds). It was all very methodical and relaxed and I felt like I was in and out pretty quickly.

Onto the run… well, I’m not sure I've ever said this in a triathlon before, but it was easily my best leg of the day and I was really happy with it!

I felt like I ran steady and comfortably, but was still pushing myself. I did not get passed by a single woman and actually managed to pass quite a few who had passed me earlier on the bike (even chasing one down in the final 500m or so – it felt pretty bad ass). Needless to say, that was a very new and very fun feeling for me.

More importantly, mentally, I never gave in and never let up. This is new for me. I often cave to the pain and allow myself to phone it in a bit. Specifically, my calves were bugging me quite a bit on the way out, but I was actually able to ignore it and push past it until I was just cruising. For me, that is a huge win and in a weird way, proves to myself that I am stronger and tougher than I was the last time I did an Ironman. (I’m pretty sure I have the TransRockies Run to thank for that).

I'm not very photogenic while running, but I liked this one because I'm smiling (kinda).
As with all the photos, FinisherPix.

So, while the swim and bike were both a bit 'meh', the run was GREAT! It was amazing to cross the finish line feeling strong and finish the race on a high note. 

I finished off the day 4/15 in my age group, and 17/81 of the women. Maybe a little slower than I would have liked, but it was a pretty great start to the season and a nice way to blow out the cobwebs.

Super random, and I don't know these guys, but I saw this photos when I
was going through all the pics from the race and, well, I love it!
Especially because if you look at their bibs, these guys weren't even in the same race. 

ps. Don't think I forgot about #100happydays. Photos will follow in their own post.