For Jake's race report, please see the previous post!!! Now, onto my race report...
I was so excited about Jake's race, that I had no nervous energy left over for my own! Race morning started off as usual -- lots of people with all their gear strewn all over the place. I had every intention of arriving early enough to get a choice bike rack, but didn't quite make it, and so was stuck in the very middle as usual. :P
Jenna's poop fairy came to visit again and again -- thanks Jenna!! LOL!!
I met up with a family from the Pass -- the guy, Mike did IMC last year, and his wife would be doing her first ever triathlon that day -- the Olympic too! I hung out with Mike (it's funny, there are all these Mikes all over the place. I'm introducing my Mike, to another Mike. Mike, this is Mike. LOL!!), his wife, and their son, Chris before the race started.
After squeezing into my wetsuit we headed down to warm up in the cold water. Wasa was the first outdoor swim I ever did and was the first time I had a full on panic attack, so I always make sure to completely immerse myself in the cold water BEFORE the race to get the shock over with. It wasn't too bad, but it was still frigging cold! :)
After singing the national anthem, (I was thrilled how many people actually sang along this year!) the race started. Not much about the swim to say here --I chugged along as best I could, only zig-zagged a little bit, swallowed a bunch of water at the buoy turn-arounds, and tried to keep it movin'. I did head-butt one poor swimmer by accident though -- Sorry, whoever you are!! I nailed this person right in their side. I am a terrible swimmer and usually just ping-pong off everyone around me to keep swimming in a straight line. To be fair, it was a gentle head-butt. I just don't move fast enough to do any damage.
Two laps in the lake and then I shakily emerged from the water. My swim time was the pits -- almost 2 minutes slower than last year -- 30:47 WTF?? More griping about this later...
My wetsuit didn't give me too much grief as I pulled it off, but I did get my right foot stuck and it just wouldn't come out -- AAAARGGGHH! LOL!! As luck would have it, the guy in the bike rack next to me was there at the same time -- making it even more congested.
Finally I got out on the bike, and despite some pissiness from this one girl at the mount line, I took off happy! I quickly overtook said pissy chick which I never saw again -- this pleased me immensely!!
I had a FANTASTIC bike -- I overtook tonnes of people --I couldn't believe it!! I have never been in this position before. I couldn't believe how many people I passed! I kept spinning my legs, and even though there was a strong headwind (whoopity-do, that's normal for me!),I felt strong and great. At the turnaround, my inner thighs started to hurt -- it's so weird, this year, my quads and hammys are OK, it's my inner thighs that start to hurt! LOL!!
It wasn't a bad hurt, it was just interesting to see how much I could push myself. I kept passing people right until the end of the bike ride!
New Bike PB -- 1:17:21!!!!!
I ran into transition and stood there temporarily lost in the middle of the sea of bike racks for a few moments! LOL!! I couldn't tell where in the world my running shoes were, but I quickly spotted them! Hahahahaha!
I took off out of transition and felt really good. I was going the same pace as everyone around me for 1km or so, and then I started to pass people again!! People passed me too, but I was so thrilled that I was passing other runners and I was just going my normal pace!! Yahoo!!!!
This 50 year old guy passed me wearing the exact same tri suit as me -- NICE. At one point, the 50 year old guy, another girl and me were all running one behind the other wearing the same tri suit. I soon passed that girl too! ;) But I'm wanting to buy a new trisuit!! LOL!!!!
I had a great run -- didn't feel like puking, and felt strong the whole way. As I approached the finish line, I saw it was 2:39 and a few seconds. I thought to myself, "F$@k! I HAVE to get under 2:40!!! LOL!! I did!!!!! YAHOOOOO!!! A new frigging PB!!!
My total time was 2:39 and change -- I forgot to write it down and the results aren't up on the site yet.
I set a new ALL-TIME PB for the 10km...
51:42!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
When all was said and done, I ended up taking 6 minutes off my previous OLY PB!!!!!! :) :)
The only thing that really sucked was my swim -- I felt so demoralized after seeing I was that much slower than last year -- especially with all the extra swimming I've been doing. I was feeling really great about setting a new PB, but at the same time I felt so disappointed all my hard work at swimming is just not paying off.
What the hell am I doing wrong? Is it possible that some people just can't swim, no matter what? I feel like everyone knows a secret and I am left in the dark... how in the hell can I be getting worse? I just totally SUCK at swimming and I am wondering whether or not I should even put so much effort into my swimming workouts anymore. It seems like everything I do is just not enough and I just feel so utterly miserable about the whole swimming thing.
I just have no motivation to wake up early and go swimming anymore --I think I am just going to go at noon and just tool around. After all, last year I was a much faster swimmer -- why kill myself in the pool, when I am not even improving?
OK, enough about the gripe -- but I experienced such conflicting emotions that I had to get this off my chest.
Can't wait to read everyone else's race reports!!!!
10 comments:
Great race report and awesome job on setting a new PB!
With respect to your swimming, there are a couple of things to keep in mind.
1.) You are a faster/stronger swimmer then you were last year. All the extra time you put in this year has not gone to waste. You are probably swimming more efficiently then ever before which helped to contribute to your overall race on Sunday. (less energy expended swimming = more for bike/run)
2.) Wasa Lake is a funny swim course - I've done that race twice in the past and both my times were were off. Either the bouys were not set correctly and/or wind conditions.
3.) It is tough to swim in a pool all year then head outdoors for your first open swim during a race. Indoors you have lane lines and can see where you are going much better then that old dark murky Wasa Lake. There is a bit of a transition period from indoors to out and once you get a few more open water swims under your belt you will see your times drop.
At the end of the day, there is no need to be discouraged about your swim. Just by reading your blog over the course of the past several monthes I've see you transform into shark.
Believe in yourself and the work you have put into it.
Awsome time Julie, congratz on the new PB!! Good race report, although I echo your thoughts on the swimming. I also had a really disappointing swim, I'm kinda lost about it. Keep up the good work though, really fast time. How did you place? Oh you said the results weren't up yet.
Julie...Awesome job on the race overall!! I am not confident that the open water swims are the same distance year over year...last year my 1500 time was well over 30 minutes....this year I did 23 minutes...don't put too much analysis into the swim time. I have done open water swims for many many years and there has been very few that I would say "Yep....that was exactly 1500 meters!!" I know the numbers look disappointing but Shannon is right...more efficiency in the water equals more energy on the bike and run....and those times proved it!!!
Awesome job out there Julie! I could feel your excitement as I read your report!!
I love what Shannon wrote about the swim - I hope you take all of that into account and don't give up on the swim.
You are awesome!
OK, and one from me too - I totally agree with Shannon re:efficiency and benefitting in the bike and run - Steve and I had the very same conversation the other day. ALso, in my experience, although your training is going better, sometimes it can take longer to translate into racing faster, ad it may not fully be in your muscle memory yet, and when you're racing you have other things going on in your mind so may not yet be replicating what you do in the pool back into open water. I certainly feel that on my run which is my worst event.....always something to learn and work on hey?!
Keep at it, girl, you're seeing the results, just think how you felt about your swimming last year - it'll come round, you see!
Great Race!!
Don't sweat the swim. There are so many variables there, distance, wind, water temp, waves, ect, ect, ect. It might have been just feeling a little off swimming. Better by far to have a slow day in the water than on the bike or run.
Who's to say that if you hadn't done these extra swim workouts you'd have been that much slower, perhaps even just off your personal best slower?
Hang in there. Your shark will come.
Congrats on the PB, awesome job!!! Don't worry about the swim, some days you'll have it some days you won't. Don't forget that swimming in a lake is totally different than in the pool, so your times will be reflected in that :)
1. i agree you hav emade your weakness (swimming ) more of a strength so you could be faster in riding and running - holy shite batman!!
2. In SK they never actually measure our swim courses correctly. Was their a saskatchewan person measruing the swim route ..lol
3. You rocked it!!
4. So THAT is where the dumb poop fairy was!!lmao
Awesome work! My swimming efforts get lost on the course, too, but you rocked the rest! For some reason the poop fairy didn't visit me as often and I would've liked.
As you know Julie, I'll never be a triathlete, but the talk does rub off on me, especially when you and Cath get going, and I think the others are right. Your swim might not have been as fast as you were hoping for, but it sounds like you had a lot more energy at the end of it for the bike and run. One thing I've learned from Cath is that running a triathlon is all about getting the balance of the disciplines right.
Training isn't wasted, and it all goes to make you stronger, just make sure you are doing the right sort of training and that you don't go overboard - I know you won't 'cos remember, your heart might stop hahaha! (For anyone reading this, it's a long story!)
You know you're good, you know you will be better, and you know how to go about it. You'll kick ass, I promise you!
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