Tiki Swim

Starting out with a small rant here, but WTF, Frontier Airlines?!!

So, you mean to tell me it costs more to carry on a bag than to check a bag?!  How does that make sense.  It also cost you $3-5 to reserve a seat, and then, it's another $1.99 if you'd like your "complimentary" in-flight beverage.  Nevermind getting any snack on the cross-country flight!  Mind you, their airfare prices are not so low to justify this nickel and diming.  But actually, that is not my biggest issue with them.  I paid good money for TSA pre-check, but Frontier does not recognize that... as though TSA is optional?!  So I had to stand in the regular security line with all the common-folk.. unimaginable!! :-)

 

But anyway, Erika and I arrived in San Diego safely, met Deb, and went straight to a local Mexican joint for margaritas (margarEEEtas)!  We visited with some seals of Oceanside, checked into the condo [which was really nice minus the train that ran just outside the window at frequent intervals all throughout the day and night!] and took a walk around town.

This picture just does not do the waves justice!

Friday morning, we decided to head down to the beach and see about this whole swimming in the ocean thing.  Getting out past the waves made us all a little nervous, and I think all three of us stood there about knee-deep in the water unsure of how to tackle this part of the swim.  Erika was asking about which point in the wave to start diving under, so in an effort to show her, I dove into one of the waves.  It actually wasn't so bad!  Now that I'd gotten started, I kept going and soon found myself past the worst of it.  I turned around and saw Erika was not too far behind me, so I waited, and the two of us swam out to almost the end of the pier.  Then we started wondering how safe it was for us to be out there alone (are there sharks in this water??), and decided to turn back.  The swim back into the shore was actually way worse, as we couldn't see the waves coming up on us, and we were both happy that the official swim would end in a harbor, so we wouldn't have to worry about that part again.

After a shower and breakfast, we spent the rest of the day exploring Lake Hodges.  We were hoping for a good hiking trail, but settled for a brief trek up to the top of a cliff, and then a walk part-way around the lake.  Then it was off to a winery for the rest of the evening, and a soak in the hot tub when we got back to the condo.  Saturday, we had to somewhat take it easy in preparation for the swim on Sunday morning, but did find some energy for testing out some of the demo Xterra SUP in the harbor at swim check-in, and a walk around the shore of Pacific Beach to watch the sunset. 

XTerra had demo SUP that we could use at the swim check-in...
Seals in La Jolla where we had delicious brunch, and then  dinner and sunset
at Pacific Beach.. and yes, that is a BEER!!  I ordered a BEER!! (strawberry ale)

Sunday morning.  Swim day!  Yikes.  Erika had been nervous about the event for most of the trip, and I think nervousness is contagious!  Deb decided to switch her registration to the 1.2 mile swim, and so now I was the only fool swimming 2.4 miles, and was wondering if I was making the right decision?  Our practice swim on Friday was hard, but I got through it, so I was determined to do the 2.4 miles as I'd planned, especially since I figured as long as I could get out to the first turn buoy, I'd be fine.  The three of us made our way down to the pier and said our goodbyes as Deb and Erika caught the shuttle down to the 1.2 mile start (different start points, but we would end in the same spot).  I put my wetsuit on, applied my trislide and sunblock, turned in my morning clothes bag (to be collected at the end) and, for better or worse, was ready to go.  My original goal for the swim was 1:40, but given the waves and the current, I had no idea what to expect.. maybe 2 hours?

I lined up on the beach with all the other swimmers, and let pretty much everyone run ahead of me when the horn (err.. ambulance siren) sounded.  Let me just say that the waves were nothing like they were during our practice swim!!  Not only were they much bigger, but they were much more frequent!  We never got a break, and I was getting pounded again and again [and again and again].  I was about a heartbeat away from flagging down a kayaker and throwing in the towel, but I didn't see any around me.  Swimming back to shore was even more terrifying, so I just kept side-stroking my way out.  I had to stop again at one point to fix my timing chip that I could feel coming off (tucked it into my wetsuit).  Finally, I got to that first buoy and I hit the lap button on my watch so I could later see just how long and pathetic that first section took me. 

Once I was around that first buoy, I figured things would get better, right?  Wrong.  The waves weren't breaking anymore, but they were just as big and frequent as ever.  I couldn't see any of the buoys and I was starting to get seasick from being tossed around so much.  I tried to swim as best I could, and at one point a kayaker cut me off and told me I was going way off course.  I must say that the volunteers were pretty incredible!  At some point, I stopped, and another kayaker asked if I wanted some water.  Considering all of the salt water I'd consumed on accident, water sounded great.  A lifeguard paddled over to me and let me hang on to her surfboard until another boat came over with some water.  Unfortunately, it wasn't water, but instead some hammer product that tasted disgusting, but at least it got rid of the salt water taste.  I checked my watch and was pleased to see that I was more than halfway.  OK, I can do this... I was off again, trying desperately to spot the buoys.  The volunteers kept trying to direct me, and it turned out I was further along than I thought... I was no longer looking for orange buoys.  I had made it to the green buoys, indicating we were close to the turn into the harbor.

I'm not really sure how I feel about this photo.. I kinda look how I felt :-)

Eventually, I found myself rounding the rocks into the harbor.  I really started to pick it up at this point and was cruising!  I was passing people handily and just swimming along.  Then, a freaking seal swam right under me, about 2-3 feet away!  It freaked me out for a second until I realized what it was, but how cool is that?!  It was going the opposite direction as me though, so I couldn't follow it.  My arms started getting tired at this point, but I was enjoying my pace and was able to keep it up until the end.  I was looking for the large blow-up rubber ducky that I thought was supposed to signal the finish, but never saw it.  Instead, there were a ton of people yelling and cheering and I found myself at the boat launch.

They gave out burritos at the end... also, note the distance recorded!!

I swam as far as I could b/c I hate touching the bottom of bodies of water and wanted to be sure I didn't have to walk too far.  Suddenly, I found a hand in front of my face and I happily let the volunteer help me to my feet and direct me to the timing mats about 15 feet away.  1:47 was the time on my garmin (official time listed as 1:47:01), and under the circumstances, I'll take it! It was a strong finish and also a personal best for me at the distance!

We all finished!!!

It took a minute to get myself oriented as I walked through the finisher chute, and I had to hold onto the railing as a volunteer removed my chip.  It took forever to find some water -- not sure why they didn't think finishers would want water right away?  Then I found Deb and found out that she and Erika had only finished 10 minutes earlier, so I was happy I didn't make them wait for too long for me.  We took a finisher photo, and decided to buy t-shirts to commemorate the occasion.  From there, it was a relaxing day of brunch and sitting at the pool, before going out to dinner with my family who lives in San Diego.  It was great to see them and a wonderful finish to the weekend!

Note the baby sitting right across from me!!!  Though, with the one stroke of luck
on this trip, the baby was really, really good and pretty much slept the whole time.
Oh.. and that top right photo?  They wouldn't even let us watch the tv's while we were waiting!

Then.. traveling home was the worst nightmare ever.  When we booked our flights, [I thought] Deb was scheduled for a flight that left after mine and Erika's, but something must have happened because, Deb said her flight was now at 11:15, which meant we had to get to the airport at 9am.  This was a full 3.5 hours before our scheduled flight, which was already delayed thanks to many flights needing to be re-routed to avoid Chicago air space (thanks, jackass).  So, we had to wait until 10:40 until we could even check in, and then another few hours until our flight to Denver finally took off around 1:30.  When we landed in Denver, we raced to the food court to grab a snack for the flight (heath bar crunch cookie!) and made it back just in time for boarding, only to find out our captain and first officer had timed out.  We had to get off the plane again while they found a new crew. 
     Then they had to re-route us again to avoid weather in parts of the country. 
          Then there was too much fuel on the plane. 
               Then the new captain timed out. 
                    Then... we finally pull back from the gate as though we're leaving, but takeoff is aborted halfway down the runway due to a flight control malfunction. 
It was literally one thing after another, and we didn't end up landing in DC until 5:30am, a full 7.5 hours late (not sure why they didn't just cancel the flight?) and over 18 hours of travel for me and Erika.  Thanks to Jon, my hero, for tracking the flight and still picking me up when I finally made it.  Never again, Frontier airlines, never again.

When I got home and uploaded my data, I found the most shocking thing.  That first segment out through the waves to the first buoy that I was just sure took forever was actually faster than the rest?  I'm confused.  Really confused.
Oh, and not to forget the injury report!  I came home with 2 souvenirs...

Blister on the top of my foot from our inadvertent long walk around town the first night...
Chaffing on my shoulder from my wetsuit.. I swear, I use body glide, but every single time the wetsuit gets me!

All in all, this was a successful weekend.  I now know that I can swim this distance, even in poor circumstances.  I am now officially in my off-season, and getting ready to head south to Key West this weekend!  I already promised Jon that I am not taking any athletic equipment, no running shoes, no goggles, no garmin.. this will be a purely relaxing weekend, and I cannot wait!

---

I stumbled upon another race report from someone who has done this swim for the past couple years, and described it as the hardest OWS he's ever done, with "a lot more swells and chop than the previous two years."  It makes me feel much better that this was so hard for me.  Seems like conditions were much worse than they have been in years past.  His garmin also measured 2.6 miles, so maybe I didn't swim as far off course as I thought; the course was just long.

sh!t just got real, IMMD training camp, and Xena's maiden voyage

And just with that, a click of a button, shit. just. got. real.

Yikes!  I've been thinking and talking about Ironman for years... as in one day, before I'm 40, but always in the abstract, never any solid plans.  At some point, I stumbled upon a race report, the story of a women I have never met, and suddenly I wanted it, Ironman Cozumel.  It's what I set my mind on... what a great place to do Ironman!  Then the years passed, I went to grad school and took a break from racing, and then joined Team Z last spring.  Unfortunately [for me], the team is racing Ironman Cozumel *this* year, and that just isn't in the cards for me.  I also know that if I am going to do Ironman, I am going to want [and need] the support of the team.  The team selected two races for 2015, neither of which I originally put my support behind (I think I voted for Florida and Arizona).  So, I set about choosing between the two venues... and at the end of the day, it came down to logistics, and my best chance of becoming an Ironman in 2015.

And with that, I made the commitment to myself to race Ironman in 2015.  Things started happening quickily after that decision was made.  On June 19, I signed up to volunteer at this year's race with the anticipation of getting early registration on-site the day after.  Then, I registered for Eagleman 70.3, the natural warm-up race, sharing the same course as IMMD.  I got my Vo2Max test done on the bike (maps out your heart rate zones, which is how we train), and scheduled one for my run.  Hell, I even booked my place to stay over Ironman weekend 2015!!  Trust me, Cambridge is tight on lodging options... the time I did Eagleman (AquaBike in preparation for Redman 70.3 in 2008) I had to stay all the way in Salisbury.  This time, I am getting on top of things!  Besides, one less thing for me to worry about later...

Xena: Warrior Princess; Strong Fighter
(aka, EXACTLY what I'm going to need to become IRONMAN... my inspiration for
the name came from a sweet little puppy who overcame all odds, Xena the Warrior Puppy)

On Labor Day weekend, I went bike shopping with my dad.  Andrea had recently bought a new tri bike for her upcoming Ironman this year, and made the point that when else would she be riding her bike so much.  I thought about it, and she was absolutely right.  And, for me, if there was ever time to buy a tri bike, it was now, for this race and this specific course.  Furthermore, this was the time of year to buy, when there were previous year closeouts available.  I completely lucked out!  After a day in Baltimore getting fitted and testing a few bikes, I made a few phone calls and found a bike (2013 closeout Cervelo P3) that fit me perfectly at local Bonzai!  And with that, I welcomed Xena into my life.

Then, with a stroke of luck, they gave priority registration to everyone who had already signed up for Eagleman, and on Sep 16, a full 382 days prior to race date, I signed up for Ironman Maryland 2015!  Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap!

First road trip in the new car -- amazing weather to drive with the roof down!

It's with nervous excitement that I packed up Xena and the car and headed to Cambridge to experience Ironman for the first time, including volunteering in the women's changing tent, and train with my team and everyone who's getting ready for Ironman Cozumel in a few months.

The house was amazing, and I only wish there was more time to enjoy it.
That's the view from the long road/driveway leading up to the house, the back of the house
from the water's edge, and the view from the widow's tower.

I drove directly to the rental house that I was sharing with some other Zers who were volunteering, which was about 30 minutes past the race site, but necessary as I don't have a lock on my new bike rack yet.  I was in a bedroom with 4 twin beds, but in the end, 2 of the ladies didn't show up (they made a day trip out of it, I think), so it ended up just being me and Tricia (who, unlike reported earlier, is not signing up for IMMD 2015 which disappoints me, but good for her for making a decision that is best for her!).  From there, I drove to Great Marsh Park with my swim gear, 30 minutes late for when some teammates were meeting to swim.  I thought I had time to get in a small swim anyway, except when I got there, people were getting out and describing their experience as a washing machine, and probably inadvisable for me to get in.  I heeded their advice and made my way over to the team dinner before going back to the house and relaxing with some wine.

Holy choppy, the Choptank river lives up to its name!
No swimming for me!

I was awake bright and early on Saturday morning, got dressed and made my way back to the race site.  I wanted to get there early enough to get a parking spot, and be sure to get a good view to watch the swim start.  Not a problem, and I soon found some Zers as I just took in all the excitement of racers setting up their nutrition and last minute adjustments to their gear bags.  I felt the energy and tried to imagine what everyone was feeling, if they were doing their first or their 10th Ironman, if they were nervous about the swim, or bike cutoff times, or were hopeful for a personal best time.

I got caught up watching the swim so much that once again, I found myself late for the team workout.  Oh well, I had nothing but time on my hands, and I was not doing 16 miles like many teammates who are training for Ironman Cozumel, so I could do my measly 3(ish) miles whenever.  I walked over to the Team Z tent that was set up on the run course, and did my run along the first part of the bike course (opposite side of the road and mostly in the grass to stay out of the way).  It was nice watching all the bikers go by and even got to see Mary and Val as they passed me.  Then it was just relaxing at the Team Z tent and eating lunch until it was time for me to head to my volunteer shift.  I will say that the saddest part of my day was when I wandered to the edge of the water [to hide behind a car and change out of my run clothes] just in time to see the swim cut-off, and all the people working so hard to reach the beach as the announcer counted down from 5 minutes... and people being SO close (seriously, there were people who had just stood up and were heading out of the water) and not making it.  I felt terrible for those people.

Look at the difference in the river from the choppiness the day before...
What do you think is the net value of bikes here is?!!!

Volunteering was an amazing experience!  I worked the women's changing tent and got to see every single racer, from the eventual winner to the very last person who just barely made the cut-off at 5:29 PM.  This was probably a lesser-desired shift to take - lots of nakedness and helping people rub vaseline in places inside a very stuffy tent - but I picked up on a lot of tips and how-to's that I will surely be thankful for:  disposable toothbrush to get the gel taste out of your mouth, bring your own baby wipes, body glide, blister repair kit, advil.  Some people came in and sat down.. for awhile.. some people did full wardrobe changes, and some (the leaders) simply changed their shoes and headed out.  There were 2 women who came in - separately - who had crashed on the bike, couldn't move their arm at all, needed help putting their running shoes on, but refused medical attention and wanted to go ahead with the run.  I also got to see both Mary and Val again!  There really were just some amazing women and amazing stories, so the changing tent was a great place for me to be.  I was absolutely EXHAUSTED after my shift, but Deb tells me that means I did a good job and will be good mojo for me next year... I'll go with that!

That's actually a Zer (Jordan A.) crossing the finish line!

Then, it was back to the Team Z tent for 6 more hours of cheering - so many racers, so many incredible people!  And then... the finish line!  Contrary to what I've heard from other racers, this finish line was not crowded, there was plenty of spaces in the bleachers.. but the lights and music and watching those finishers dance their way down the chute, it was just as amazing as I had imagined.  I'm sure there were a bunch of people pulled from the run course for not making earlier cutoffs (there is a time limit for each of the 3 loops) as I did not see some of the people I'd helped change and was watching for... but every single person who made it onto the 3rd loop crossed the finish line with time to spare!  It would have been hard to watch someone get all that way and miss it by only a few minutes (which, by the way, is a position I might find myself in next year... train! train! train!).

Xena's maiden voyage... on the Ironman course!
Check out those splits for the out and back ride... can you tell which way the wind was going?!

I was simply exhausted for the drive back to the house after midnight, but woke up early again on Sunday, and for once made it to the team workout on time!  I started out with a group of riders, and for the first time, was able to keep up without trying too hard!  We stayed in a group and I was happy to hear that Jen F. and Sherri were also only doing 20 miles (most people were going long, 50-100 miles, but I'm not training for anything and just wanted to get out on the new bike and give her a whirl).  I did practice riding in the aero position on the back half (don't worry, I separated myself from the ladies until I was comfortable) and realized I'm going to have to work on my neck and shoulder muscles!  The 3 of us finished together, concluding the long, exhausting, but totally-worth-it weekend.  I stopped at Sonic for a breakfast sandwich and milkshake on my way home, took a long-overdue shower and curled up on the couch for the rest of the day.

Nations Triathlon [and a new bike PR!]

Nailed it.

I specifically wanted to start out with that phrase after my last race report that started with "bust".  This is the first time in a long time that I am really, really happy with my race.

Racked and ready to go!! (photo credit: Tommy)

But let's back up... On Saturday, I met Tommy and we went over to the Expo and down to transition to rack bikes before a long lunch with Paula, Andrea and Nancy.  Then it was home to put some stuff together and get ready for my final triathlon of the season.  The storms started moving in and we all started wondering about our poor bikes getting wet, but it soon dried up and brought in cooler weather, a good change from the 90+ temperatures.

After a fairly sleepless night (thanks, dogs), I woke up at 4am on Sunday to a text from Andrea referring me to a post on the Nations Triathlon facebook page.  Son of a bitch!!  Swim canceled?!!  Phooey, phooey, phooey!!!  Swimming is my best event, and given that all the team pools have been closed for the last few weeks, this was one of my few opportunities to get in the water.  I even considered just skipping the whole thing, why even bother?  But, alas, my bike was already racked, so I'd have to trek into DC at some point anyway to retrieve that.  Besides, I was meeting friends for a post-race brunch, so I got out of bed, put on my race suit, and was on my way into the city.

I set up transition and found fellow Zer, Rachel and then Andrea.  Even though there was no swim, we still had to set up for our swim to bike transition, as we would be starting at the swim exit (no helmets or shoes allowed), and would run into transition to start the race, as though we just got out of the water.  Compared to the other Team Z races I've done, our presence was considerably smaller here, maybe 30 teammates out of 2500 athletes.  Race logistics prevented the normal team setup (tents, grills, chairs, etc), but we were provided a small tent, and so I spent the long time waiting for wave 27 with my teammates.  At about 8:00 I walked over to the starting area to try to find Andrea and get ready to go.  Finally, my wave started lining up around 8:30.  They started us in groups of 9 every 20 seconds(ish), and with the blow of a whistle, I was off.

Getting ready to line up in my wave start! (photo credit: my teammate, Catherine)

It was actually a long run into transition, and then my bike was at the far end.  I'd say it was about quarter mile from the start to my bike, which I ran most of because everyone else was running and I didn't want to be the one fool left behind!  I was already wearing my sunglasses and gloves, threw on my helmet and bike shoes and I was ready to go.  Official T1 time = 3:24.  There were a TON of people all around me for the entire duration of this bike course.  Seriously, people riding 5 bikes across, passing on the left, passing on the right, cutting in front of you.  There were just that many people.  For the first mile or so, I wondered how bad the hills were going to be, with Rock Creek parkway being the first test.  It wasn't bad!  I was even passing some people!  And I kept passing people -- I never pass people! 

This was a really complicated bike course with so many turns -
here's the full version of the course!

My watch is set to lap every 5 miles, and when it alerted me on the first lap, I checked my pace: 15.8 mph.  Could that be right??  My goal was 14.5 mph.  OK, that was a fluke, but I knew I needed to keep working at it so that it didn't drop down too much.  Second lap?  16.1 mph.  Holy crap, is this for real??  Now I was determined to see if I could keep this up for the entire 25 miles.  My mind said no way, but I kept pedaling and taking in nutrition [and determined that my body does NOT like eating solid foods on the bike... my stomach can handle it fine, but I just have no appetite for it].  I saw Andrea a couple times as she flew by me on her new bike, and then Rachel passed me also.  It's always great seeing familiar faces on the course!  Actually, a lot of people passed me... but I'm OK with that, I was going a fantastic pace for myself, and that's what counts.  I really couldn't believe it as I kept checking my watch.  I was getting tired, but really pushed myself to see if I could maintain this pace until the end.  I did drop a little on the last 5 mile segment, the long out and back stretch over the 14th St bridge, but finished 15.6 mph overall, a new bike personal record for me -- YIPPEE!!!  Official bike time: 1:35:42 (Garmin was spot-on).

Look at those bike splits!!!  Never in my entire life have I done splits like that, even on
the flattest of courses... maybe the training is starting to pay off???

I walked my bike through transition, took off my bike equipment, threw on my running shoes and off I went.  Except, it was so hard to run.  My calf was starting to cramp and I felt a shin splint coming on.  I really struggled for that first mile, thinking there was no way in hell I was going to meet my 14:30/mile pace goal (thanks to my lack of appetite for solid foods, I was thinking I was under-nutritioned from the bike).  Sure enough, mile one came in close to 15:30 and I thought to myself, ah who cares, I rocked the bike, it's not the end of the world if I don't hit my run goal also.

Terrible quality, but I refuse to fork over $25 for a digital print when they couldn't
even get ONE photo of me on the bike (and there were a TON of photographers)

As I turned into Haines Point, I started a run/walk routine, switching up at every light post.  I think it probably equated to less than 30s of each, but it was consistent.  Mile two came in at 14:20, and I started thinking hmm, OK, maybe we forget that first mile and just see if I can come in around my goal for the rest.  Then mile 4 came in at 14:15 and I got the idea that perhaps I could make up for that first mile in the long run.  I kept trudging along, light post to light post.  I was getting tired and at one point thought abut giving myself permission to just walk a little and take it easy.  Then reality set in, you are in a RACE, you don't get to take it easy!!!  So I didn't.  Run, walk, run, walk, and suddenly I'm at mile 6 and am almost finished.  Doing some quick calculations, I'm realizing that my overall pace is right around my goal, maybe just a few seconds more.  I ran over the finish line and collected my well-earned medal and realized that yes, I did meet my goal.  14:19/mile overall!!!  Official T2 time, 3:02.  Official run time, 1:29:19.

Look at how I got faster and faster during this run - this isn't my best 10K time (even in a tri),
but I think I've never pushed myself this hard before.

I met up with Andrea and Nancy, grabbed some water from the Team Z tent and then headed over to transition where Joann was waiting for me.  I collected all of my things, saw Rachel and took a finisher picture, and then started the long walk back to my car.  Seriously, the mile back to my car was the hardest part of the morning!!  And then, when we got there, they weren't letting any cars out of the lots yet because the roads had not yet opened up to traffic.  Luckily, because the swim was canceled, the time line was moved up a bit and we didn't have to wait too long to get out.  Off to the Hamilton for brunch with Sweeney, Joann, Heidi, Andrea, Nancy, Paula and Tommy!

My teammate, Rachel, and me post-race (photo credit: Joann)
Not sure why I never thought to get a picture with Andrea and Tommy, d'oh!

I am now so bummed that the swim was canceled.  Even with an average swim for me, I would have totally PR'ed the Olympic distance!!  Logistically, this race was obnoxious, and I swore that I'd never do it again, but now I kind of want to go back to see what I can do with all three events.  The hot shower and quick nap were a bad idea when I got home, as I started to get really sore.  Luckily I had the good sense to pop some Advil, put ice on my back and use my foam roller extensively, and was already feeling better by bedtime.  It's been awhile since I've been able to say I really gave it 100% in a race, and pushed myself this hard... and I got the results to show for it!  I went to bed feeling very pleased with myself.  This was a win.