Women Rock Sprint

I realized today that it has been a while since I did a race report. Unfortunate that today's race report is not a more positive one. But you know what they say you learn more from a bad race day then a good one, so lets see what I can get out of today!

Today I woke up at 4am, I believe that is a new race day record for me! The race today was not only a little far away but also had off site parking and I was nervous that I would miss the shuttles other wise. Yes no worries there I was all ready to go on the second shuttle to leave. On the 20min bus ride over to the start I gave little tips of wisdom to new time open water swimmers. After setting up my transition area I slipped on my wet suit and went down to check out the swim start.

It was hard to tell exactly where the swim start was. Apparently high water levels flooded most of the beach which was now limited to a little batch between the trees. No matter, I would be in the first wave and got in to warm up. That water was chilly but not bad, "refreshing" I'd say. The swim start held little incident. I got a great position at the front of the pack and though I had to fight a few little over zelus newbies in the beginning 3/4 to the first buoy and I had a nice space carved out for my self. In the beginning scramble I got an elbow to the eye but luckily it just made my goggle uncomfortably tight and I didn't feel the need to stop and fix it. by the second buoy I over took the only two other swimmers I had seen between the first and second buoy and gave a hard push towards what I hoped was the swim finish. The sun happened to be rising right behind the swim finish making the three guiding buoys invisable. at first I followed the splash of a swimmer in front of me until I caught a glimpse of a inflatable arch at the transition area. At that moment I realized the poor swimmer in front of me was veering far off to the right, in the end I would say she added an extra 100-200yrds, ouch. I am still waiting on results but coming out of the swim I felt strong, I think top 3-5 women.

The run from the swim finish to the transition area was one of the longest I had ever encountered. coming in between the trees into the tiny beach I charged up to a muddy hill where volunteers where waiting to help racers up the slippery section. I throw on the flip flops the race had given us for the off road run to the transition entrance. Coming in to the transition area I encountered two girls in my area nearly ready to hop on their bikes and ride off. I wasn't far behind them but despite by surges on the bike I never did catch up to them.

The bike course was hilly and windy. Not a course I would have chosen for an all women's race, which is notorious for being a good place for women to try racing in a non threatening environment. In retrospect I would have been able to hit the course harder if I had been more familiar with the curves. I was only passed three times on the bike but still it hurt mental and no matter how hard I pushed my petals I could feel I wasn't having a good bike day. I have to wonder if my body is still recovering from the wicked hard ride up the Alpine loop on Saturday. if how my climbing muscles felt today is any testament I would have to say definitely yes. I will never know whether or not a flat tire played into my poor bike performance today. Although I do not know if the flat happened during the ride I do know that by the time I packed up my things to leave today my rear wheel was flatter then flat.

Coming off the bike I was already feeling discouraged and knew today was not my day. My quads remained cold during the entire ride refusing to fire properly and I realized trying to put on my shoes in T2 that my feet too were completely numb. I got only a few yards out of transition before I realized I had put a large rock in my right shoe along with my foot at transition. I had to sit down and empty my shoe before really getting started on my run.

If the bike was not my best it all came apart on the run. Old injuries that hadn't bothered me in weeks began to flare up. My right hip and knee were the first to protest, then the uneven surface of the trail run began to play on my left ankle. Even my well trained lungs were rebelling. It was then that I new the race was over for me and it was no longer about running fast but about finishing. The course was beautiful and I tried to take in the scenery rather then feel disheartened by all the runners passing me by as a I took a nice easy pace to the finish.

When all was said and done I finished 10th in my age group, a hard hit when I have been finishing consistently on the podium. My time was a crushing 1:37:05 only two other races have I raced slower. in 2008 my first year at Beaver Lake, a particularly challenging course for me at that time. and in 2009 at the Spring Sprint when I made a similar mistake to that I made today. Riding South Fork just two days before the race leaving my quads and hams shot for race day. I guess every year has to have its off race to learn from. I will just have to go back and race the Women Rock Sprint and show what I am truly capable of next year!

My First Triathlon With My Mom

I know it is a little early for mothers day but this post is for my mother:

There are many special memories that a daughter will never forget of her mother. However there are none more burned into my memory then my first triathlon with my mother. I can’t deny that my mother has influenced my life in many ways, but in 2008 she completely changed the course. For years she had told me how she wanted to do a triathlon and my usual response was, “A race where you swim, then bike, then RUN! You have fun with that.” After years of having triathlon as a dream that she did not yet have the courage to achieve I decided it was time for a little mother daughter bonding. I picked out a race and said, “Mom we are finally doing this!” after years raising three kids and running a medical practice my mom had had little time to keep up here physical fitness. She told me, “No, no, no. Give me one year to get ready.” After that my mom signed up for a personal trainer and began her road to becoming a triathlete.

One year later we were standing at the edge of Lake Samamish in June decked out in wetsuits and neoprene caps, for those of you who don’t know June is not warm in Seattle. We were ready, ready to do the Issaquah triathlon. I think the thought “What was I thinking when I signed up for this!” was going through both our minds at that moment. But after the fist fight that makes up the swim start was finished and I had a chance to really feel the rhythm of the race my mind quieted and I realized I really could do this. For those few who decide to take on the challenge of triathlon it will be the hardest thing you ever do in your life. It gives you suck a feeling of accomplishment. And for me it gave me a purpose. I finished the race then found a spot at the finish shoot to cheer my mom in. That was it, we were hooked. I changed my major to exercise science. I started a collegiate triathlon team. I even became a triathlon coach. All because my mom wanted to cross triathlon off of her bucket list.

Triathlon has helped to create a bond between us that will last a life time. To this day my mother and I always do one race a year together. Thank you for helping me to realize my passion. I love you mom!

Training on Fluid

I've spent this week coming back from a month off sick. Just one easy work out each day with a two a day on Thursday trying to get back in the swing of things. I have been using fluid after each session with great success. I had been exhausted just from being sick and wasn't sure how well my body would handle getting back into training but each day I felt better after my workouts. I definitely have to give credit to Fluid for getting me back into training again so quickly.

My shipment of Fluid came in this week and I am loving the new chocolate flavor. I had been using chocolate milk as a recovery drink for several months after a classmate of mine completed a study in which the participants using chocolate milk improved muscle mass over over those using protein drink. After looking into the differences between Fluid and chocolate milk I have to say Fluid all the way. There are two points that really stood out to me:

1. Protein source: the primary source of protein in chocolate milk is Casein which takes 4-5 hours to digest. While the primary source of protein in Fluid is Whey which digests in 45-60mins. When looking at recovery time is of the essence. There is a short window of time after exercise in which the walls of the muscle cells open up and take on more nutrients then at any other time of day. This window lasts somewhere between 30mins to and hour. Getting protein in to the blood stream quickly during this time is essential for muscle building and recovery. As you can see the numbers speak for themselves.

2. Glutamine: Glutamine is an amino acid which is very important to athletes. It is essential for immune function, can reduce inflammation and help rebuild muscle. In endurance athletes glutamine stores can be depleted as it is a secondary energy source. Depleted glutamine sources in the body can lead to fatigue and illness. When it comes down to it Fluid has glutamine, chocolate milk does not.

Though there are other differences of course those are the two that really stood out to me. I have only been using Fluid for a week now but I definitely have seen a difference. I am excited to see how my race next month goes!

Fluid Sponsorship

I finally decided it was time to get my own sponsorship with Fluid independent of the team. Mainly because it just makes ordering easier. Having them as a team sponsor is great though, not only are they an awesome supportive company to work with but as such there logo is already on my jersey! Placed my order yesterday and I am totally stoked to try the new chocolate flavor!

ZYM Sponsorship

Just got a sponsorship with ZYM Sport Drink Tablets. I have never used this product before. It is apparently similar to Nuun which is what I have used in the past. Unlike the Nuun tablets that I have been using though the ZYM I ordered has a kick of caffeine! Which many studies have shown improves performance. Needless to say I am very excited to test this out!

Swimming for Recovery

I came across an article today that states swimming is good for recovery! I was already a firm believer in recovery swims. Last week after a long run my knee and ankle were really bothering me. I still had a swim on the books for the day so I hit the pool. After my swim the pain was gone and I was feeling better then before my run.

Swimming lengths and stretches out the muscles which always makes me feel better when everything is tight from a hard workout. But even more then that this article sites a study which shows that C-reactive protein, a biomarker of inflammation, is much lower in runners who took recovery swims after high intensity work then in runners who just rested. What else can I say I'm sold!

Icebreaker Sprint Triathlon 2011 For The Win

A 10am start time is pretty relaxed as far as races go. I slept in till 6am and was relaxed about packing up my gear to hit the race. Transition wouldn't even open until 8am. I was among the first to start laying out their gear on the frosty grass, first come first serve set me up for a sweet spot on the racks. Right across from Dave Warden who yes has his name on his race wheels and yes indeed did win the race. I spent the next two hours wandering around, talking to volunteers at body marking and waiting for my co-worker Kelly to show up for her first triathlon. I took a short ride and run to warm up then took a break from stretching to help Kelly set up her transition area. Once everything was set it was time to take off the gloves, hat, sweatpants and coat then run through the frosty transition to the indoor pool where the swim would be held. The day had begun to heat up from frostbite to freezing. There is a reason this race is called the icebreaker.

Inside the warm dome all the athletes began to line up by race numbers as I finished practicing flip turns under lane lines. A skill I was unable to use in the mob that would be my swim leg. I keep decent pace during the swim portion despite being pined in on all sides and hitting each wall in conjunction with 4 other swimmers. What should have been an easy 300m swim turned out to be a battle. And for once I was glad the swim portion of the race was over so quickly. Running from the pool through the parking lot back to transition I toweled off quickly then unzipped my wet UVU jersey to trade it for a warm dry cycling jersey. I garbed my bike and hit the pavement.

Through the bike portion I felt strong and on pace. There was only one real hill then the rest was smooth sailing including an awesome downhill portion that we got to hit twice on the two loop course. Coming through the 2nd loop I was cruising down the hill when I noticed a car stopped out part way into the course I pulled out into traffic slightly to avoid the car completely confused as to why a volunteer hadn't asked the car to move. As I glanced over my shoulder all I saw was a bike and legs sticking out from beside the car. There had been a nasty crash! I found out after the race that she had somehow T-boned the car. I'm not sure what happened beyond that but I think she is better off hitting the car then if it had been the other way around. The bike portion of the course finished with out a hitch it was time to trade my bike for running shoes and finish this race!

The run was hard. No way around that. The cold weather left my legs feeling tight and less then top notch. Just the same, one foot after the other I was going to make my goal! Though I felt slow and sluggish I finished the 5K in under 30mins which was my goal. As the final stretch came into sight a guy pulled up behind me and remarked, "I have been chasing you for 3miles, I caught you now I am happy you go and finish strong!" With that I put in what was left in the gas tank to cross the line strong.

I lazily strolled around eating orange slices and enjoying the sunshine while I waited for Kelly to finish. Kelly came in strong! Tired but excited about finishing her first race. After taking down some more snacks we strolled over to the times table to see how we did. As we meshed into the crowed I heard Kelly say,"Amber, you got first!" I looked at the sheets and not only had I meet my goal times for the bike and run (mere seconds off on my swim time) I also had won my age group.

This age group win was my first at the sprint distance and a pretty nice way to kick off the season. Next up I am thinking April 16th Telos Tri and April 30th Spring Sprint! Read for a killer season!