race report Jordanelle 2011

This was a family event. 14 and 17 signed up to do the Olympic distance with my husband and me, their first longer distance event (1 mile swim 25 mile bike 6 mile run). The other three kids volunteered to run one of the run aid stations, and they are practiced at this. From an unbiased mom's perspective, they were the best aid station on the course. They filled the cups properly (about halfway full, so that you can pinch the cup and drink it on the run--if it's too full, it spills all over, which doesn't matter so much for water, but isn't fun with Gatorade). This also meant everyone had to wake up at 5am and drive down to the race venue. And then we had to park about 5 miles from the race start, the participants had to bike in with all their gear in backpacks, the other 3 had to take the shuttle in and pay to get into the park.

We met up again there and walked down to the swim start and chatted for a couple of hours. I figured I'd done my warm up, but I got in some stretching and my usual 3 potty stops, then got into my wetsuit about 20 minutes before the race start. I also took in one of my caffeinated gus. My husband and 14 started first, then five minutes later it was me and 17. I told the other three they could stay and watch everyone come out of the water, and then they needed to go up to the aid station. It was fun to get out of the water and hear them cheer for me. It was also fun to realize that I'd finished in 25:30, which is my fastest swim time ever (on a course where I trusted the distance was accurate). In case you are interested, I did exactly 1632 strokes. Yes, I count them all. I have a hard time seeing my progress otherwise, and it keeps me focused. Call me OCD. I am.

I hustled through transition. I felt like I was going slow because I had to sit down to get out of my wetsuit, but in fact, my transition was under 2:00, which was also my fastest ever. It was a good omen for the rest of the day.

I took in my next gu as soon as I got out of the water, then passed my husband at about mile 3, which is pretty normal when he gets a headstart. Then I kept picking off people, mostly guys who started ahead of me. I think I only passed one woman on the bike. I didn't know how well I was doing until the turnaround when I could count the women ahead of me (there were three and I had no chance of catching them since I knew I would likely not be a contender during the run). I played leapfrog back and forth with about three different guys. I don't think they were trying to be annoying. We're not supposed to ride within three bike lengths of each other, but I think we were all about the same speed and what happens is that you see someone ahead of you and you get faster as you approach their back wheel because of drafting. Then as you pull ahead, the drafting ends and you get slower again and they pass you.

In case you are interested in my OCD racing habits, I do not count pedal strokes on the bike except when I am passing someone. I have 15 seconds to pass legally, so I try to do it in 15 pedal strokes. I actually have more like 22 strokes, unless I'm doing fewer than 90 rpm, like on a hill. But that's my rule of thumb. I don't pass if I can't do it in 15 pedal strokes (counting on one leg only).

I hit my goal time on the bike almost exactly. A few seconds slower because the last section of the course you can't pass anyone, but I figured it was just as well since I could save up some energy for the run. I actually had a couple of extra minutes at this point on what I'd hoped to do (though I hadn't written down a formal goal). I let myself take it easy on the run the first loop, figuring that if I felt good I could kick it in on the second loop. But every time I've done this course, I've ended up slowing down on the second loop, so I thought this strategy made sense. I got to pass by my kids' aid station and that was cool.

I took in another gu and headed up the first big hill. This run is mostly a trail run, and it's a pretty rough trail, gravel and washed out sandy sections with tricky footing. The downhills are scarier than the up. It's not my usual thing, but it has the advantage of making it feel like you are going somewhere. I can always think that I just have to get to the top of this next hill, and then it will get easier. I was hitting about 8:20 miles at this point, which isn't a super fast pace for me, and was quite a bit slower than the top three women (who were more at 7:30 pace). But I was happy. I'm not a runner. I'm better than I used to be, but it's still not my forte.

Yes, I count every step on the run. This is partly to keep myself focused, but it's more to help me keep my goals very short. I think about the pace I'm running and if I can keep it up for 100 more steps. If I can, then I do it and reassess for the next 100 steps. Crazy, I know. I do about 730 steps per mile, though I tend to slow down when I am tired.

I finished the first loop in a good time (about 25:00) and started on the second loop. I also was able to speed up a little (I did it in 22:30), which I was happy about. Sadly, at about the 5.5 mile mark, I was passed by one of the women I'd talked to briefly on the swim because she was one of the two swimmers without a wet suit in the Olympic distance (she was in a bra top and shorts). The other one of the two was my daughter, who hates wetsuits and is convinced she is faster without one. She darted past me and for about two minutes I hung with her. I didn't think I could beat her, but I hoped I could speed up. Then I gave up and let her go. She finished in fourth, bumping me back to fifth. I later checked her run time, and it was about 40:00, which means she was hitting under 7:00 miles, and she was the fastest female runner in the Olympic distance. So I congratulate myself I was able to hang with her even for a little while.

After I finished my own race, which I was pretty sure would be first place in my age group, I went directly through the grazing area, grabbing a half bagel and a bottle of water, which I ate as I headed back onto the run course. Before the race, we had estimated everyone's times and it seemed possible that I would be able to catch the two kids and run with them after I'd finished. I went to the aid station where my other kids were at, and asked them who they'd seen in the family. I figured if I'd missed the kids, I could try to hurry and catch them or possibly wait for the second loop.

It turned out that 14 was twenty minutes ahead, and no way could I catch him. He ended up finishing about 30 minutes ahead of schedule, and his run was considerably faster than we thought he could do (about 12 minutes per mile). 17 hadn't come through yet, though, so I waited for her, finishing my water and taking another gu in. At this point, I was pretty exhausted, but I wanted to try to help 17 through the run, which she hates.

As I was sitting there, a woman who was significantly overweight came walking through, sobbing quite loudly. She was clearly at the edge of her strength, even walking, and one of the volunteers called out to her, "You're almost finished." I don't know if the volunteer thought that she was on her second loop or just figured that she had already finished the swim and the bike. Many triathletes come to the sport from running and think that running is the easy part. But this woman was not happy with the supposedly encouraging comment. She shouted back, "No, I'm not," and continued walking and sobbing. I honestly wondered if there was anything anyone could say or do to help her, but I couldn't think of what, so I let her go by.

About ten minutes later, 17 showed up and told me she was going with my husband's suggested plan of 2 minutes walking, 2 minutes running. This is just so that you understand that my kids are not naturally good at this. She was hoping to hit 15 minute miles, but was afraid that her running pace was 15 minutes per mile and her walking pace considerably slower. It was at first, but she sped up as she went along. The first loop I did with her, there were still some people on the course. It's been a long time since I have seen this end of a race. People don't realize that I have not always been a successful athlete. But even in doing triathlons, I have sometimes been at the end of the race, especially when I've had bike issues and 17 did not have a good bike.

The back end of a race is very different than the front end. My husband and kids have often told me that I look "mad" when I am racing. This is simply my look of utter and complete concentration. I don't chat with other competitors. I don't spend time saying "good job" because I don't have the breath to speak. Honestly. Sometimes I will raise a hand in farewell, but that is all that I can do as I pass by someone else. I'm not trying to be rude. I'm just racing. But this end of the race is rather different. Every single person we saw on the course (most of them passing us) told us we were doing a good job, and to keep going. All the aid station helpers talked to us and complimented us. It was interesting for me to see how often I was tempted to tell people that I'd already finished, that I was actually just along for 17. I still had my race number on, though not my timing chip. They all assumed we were just slow. It bothered me a little, but on the other hand, it was a great experiment.

I didn't try to push 17 much. Her goal time (set in consultation with Dad) was 4:00 and she had met all the other parts of it. She did have to do 15 minute miles of the run, but I kept watch on our time and even with the 2 minutes on, 2 minutes off, we were pretty close to hitting it right on. When we started the second loop, we were the only people left on the course. The aid stations had closed down, leaving cups of warm water behind. A race director followed behind us, picking up cones that marked the course as we passed by. He waved and was friendly, but it was obvious, he wanted to clean up and go home. At the half mile to the finish mark, I told 17 she had to run all the last 6 minutes if she was going to finish in 4 hours. Then I asked her if she wanted me to run across the finish line with her or peel off. She said she wanted me to let her cross alone. We'd hoped there would be a photographer there, but I'm pretty sure he had already gone home.

When she turned the final corner, there was a huge cheer as the announcer (who I'm sure knew she was the last finisher on the course) called out her name. She crossed the line and got more attention than I had. Then the course shut down immediately. Yes, even the sobbing woman had beat her by about 12 minutes. 17 was too tired to go back down to get her bike and other gear, so my husband and I wrangled 2 bikes each, and double backpacks while she sat and drank and ate with the other kids. We got on the last shuttle bus back to the car and packed ourselves and our bikes back in, then headed home. It took me about an hour to hit my normal three hour puppet-strings-cut feeling. I was so proud of my kids, all of them. And myself, actually.

Though now I realize that my own finishing time is sort of an afterthought. I finished in 5 minutes off my best ever time, from last year. This is cool for me because I'm getting older and still faster. Most athletes don't have that experience. They keep slowing down, but it hasn't hit me yet and that is exciting. Maybe I'll have to change sports when it does happen. For now, I love that the summer is over, that it was filled to the brim with everything I could fit into it, from a trip to London with 17 and 15 to a neighborhood play, and finally this triathlon. This is one of those moments I want to freeze and sort of hold forever. I don't want the kids to get older because 17 is heading off to college next year and everything will change. I often want things to change and get better, but not this. This was the perfect day.