I remember when I thought two hours was a long race. Now with so many long course triathlons under my belt it was definitely short. One GU gel, one fuelselage filled with Roctane and that's it. My total time out there was 2:11:52
What I do remember is that to be fast is to train fast and that high threshold work is very necessary to get the top speeds. Considering the lack of this in my current training I had a pretty good race! Old Orchard Beach is just south of Portland on the east coast. The venue is beautiful as the swim is in the cool but relatively calm waters of the Atlantic ocean. The bike/run take you through the slightly rolling agricultural and forested terrain. In doing my pre-ride I definitely wished I had more time on the bike around these parts!
Race morning started at 4am as I ate my regular pre-race breakfast of gourmet oatmeal (recipe below) and drank my coffee. Filled up my homestay Susan, Kevin and I made our way to the race site. Susan was taking on her first half distance race. The air was cool and it was still dark. As the sun rose it became an absolutely perfect day. I headed to the swim start walking along the beautiful beach with the ocean stretching as far as the eye could see. It was so peaceful and calm. I took a few deep breaths in before I reached the nervous and excited energy of the race start.
What I do remember is that to be fast is to train fast and that high threshold work is very necessary to get the top speeds. Considering the lack of this in my current training I had a pretty good race! Old Orchard Beach is just south of Portland on the east coast. The venue is beautiful as the swim is in the cool but relatively calm waters of the Atlantic ocean. The bike/run take you through the slightly rolling agricultural and forested terrain. In doing my pre-ride I definitely wished I had more time on the bike around these parts!
Race morning started at 4am as I ate my regular pre-race breakfast of gourmet oatmeal (recipe below) and drank my coffee. Filled up my homestay Susan, Kevin and I made our way to the race site. Susan was taking on her first half distance race. The air was cool and it was still dark. As the sun rose it became an absolutely perfect day. I headed to the swim start walking along the beautiful beach with the ocean stretching as far as the eye could see. It was so peaceful and calm. I took a few deep breaths in before I reached the nervous and excited energy of the race start.
The swim was one of the worst and the best swims I have ever had. I have no idea what happened but somehow I managed to get incredibly behind the whole field of women in the first 200m. I thought oh dear, this is not a good start. I also heard my mom say to me the day before – your swim will be the best part. This was not a place to begin “my best”. I decided that I had to move it so I took on all the girls ahead of me and one at a time picked them off. I moved through two packs and ended up coming out third (21:47).
Onto the bike I had one goal – have the fastest bike split out there. I was shy of this goal by 20 seconds. I worked hard maintaining my power and navigating through the athletes. Laurel and Rebecca Wassner kept me company for a large part until we caught Lauren Goss who was serving a penalty. Then it was Lauren, Rebecca and I going back and forth, taking over leads, pushing the pace. Eventually they got a little ahead but never out of my eye sight. I watched them together for 10 miles until I decided to just go ahead. I pushed those last 6 miles of riding hard coming in off the bike in third (1:02:34).
Onto the run I had no expectations other than to finish working my hardest. I definitely did this and have a few photos with the look of agony to show for it. I was just very happy it was only 10km.
Finishing the race I quickly recovered and had the funny desire to keep going. I did a nice hour cool-down on the bike and enjoyed some of the half distance course. REV3 did not disappoint once again. They put on a phenomenal race. The community was awesome cheering and supporting each and every athlete. I had a wonderful homestay and Susan reminded me of where and how far I have come in this sport. There was a time that I asked all the same questions.
Next I turn my sight to Ironman 70.3 World Championship race. My final weeks of training will be in Ottawa where I began this triathlon journey. I will soak up the energy of the capital, hook up with old friends and enjoy these last few weeks of hard work!
Onto the bike I had one goal – have the fastest bike split out there. I was shy of this goal by 20 seconds. I worked hard maintaining my power and navigating through the athletes. Laurel and Rebecca Wassner kept me company for a large part until we caught Lauren Goss who was serving a penalty. Then it was Lauren, Rebecca and I going back and forth, taking over leads, pushing the pace. Eventually they got a little ahead but never out of my eye sight. I watched them together for 10 miles until I decided to just go ahead. I pushed those last 6 miles of riding hard coming in off the bike in third (1:02:34).
Onto the run I had no expectations other than to finish working my hardest. I definitely did this and have a few photos with the look of agony to show for it. I was just very happy it was only 10km.
Finishing the race I quickly recovered and had the funny desire to keep going. I did a nice hour cool-down on the bike and enjoyed some of the half distance course. REV3 did not disappoint once again. They put on a phenomenal race. The community was awesome cheering and supporting each and every athlete. I had a wonderful homestay and Susan reminded me of where and how far I have come in this sport. There was a time that I asked all the same questions.
Next I turn my sight to Ironman 70.3 World Championship race. My final weeks of training will be in Ottawa where I began this triathlon journey. I will soak up the energy of the capital, hook up with old friends and enjoy these last few weeks of hard work!
Recipe
Whole oats (carbohydrates)
cinnamon (antioxidant)
chia seeds (omega 3s, protein, some electrolytes)
almonds (protein/fat)
banana (potassium)
blueberries (antioxidant, vitC &K)
maple syrup (a little Canadian sweetness!)
Whole oats (carbohydrates)
cinnamon (antioxidant)
chia seeds (omega 3s, protein, some electrolytes)
almonds (protein/fat)
banana (potassium)
blueberries (antioxidant, vitC &K)
maple syrup (a little Canadian sweetness!)
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