Sheila Runs

So after just over 3 years of road racing (running), including 4 marathons, at least a dozen half-marathons, several 5Ks and 10Ks, I finally decided to do a triathlon. I got into this via cross-training for my marathons through the FIRST program, which requires cross-training on the non-running days. I didn’t like swimming at first, but the more I did it, the more I didn’t dislike it. Last spring I took a semester swim course at a local community college. It was a tough class and really got me in shape for swimming. Now I actually like swimming. Well, in the pool, anyhow. The bike part never much worried me.

These are other swimmers (faster ones) in my same swim wave.

Eventually I signed up for a small local tri that fit into my schedule. Sunday June 7, 2009. The L.A. Triathlon Series which is hosted in San Dimas, California at Frank G. Bonelli Park, only about a 15 minute drive from my house. This must be the closest race to my house that I’ve ever done. I was doing the Express course, which is billed as a 300m swim, 8.5 mile bike, 5K run.

I didn’t train hard for this race. I ran the Boston Marathon on April 20th and have races planned for July (a 5K and half-marathon) that are the real focus of my training. So I just added two swims and two bike rides per week to my run training schedule. My swims were usually about 30 minutes, 1200 yards or so, sometimes as much as 1500 yards. Bike rides varied from 6 miles to 12 miles, averaging around 45 minutes. I trained on a mountain bike and just bought my road bike a week before this race. The race was only my fourth time riding my new bike.

Two weeks before the race I went on Sunday to Bonelli Park to do a practice run of the race. I wanted to do a little swimming in the lake and check the water temperature, as I was planning to do this race with no wetsuit. Also, I wanted to practice the bike course. Well, the lake wasn’t open for swimming at the time we arrived, so we did the bike first, then most of the run, and then I tried a few minutes of swimming in the lake. The water temperature was OK, probably mid-60s (Fahrenheit), but being unable to see through the water really gave me a feeling of claustrophobia, and a mild sense of panic. I was expecting to come down to the lake on a couple more weekdays before the race and practice more swimming. Unfortunately, the lake was not open for swimming on any weekdays so I couldn’t. Wish I had known, I would have spent more time in the water that Sunday.

I also did another bike ride a week before my race on my new bike. These two bike rides of the course really helped me mentally. I knew all the turns, I knew what to expect. I felt confident about the bike, which turned out to be the easiest and most fun part of the race for me.

I made myself a checklist for the race by Googling on the phrase “triathlon checklist”. You will find lots of results for that search. I wrote down the things I wanted to make sure I brought and put all my stuff together the night before. I didn’t do any kind of taper for this race, because of the other events I’m training for. I had a long run on Friday of 10 miles and Saturday was a crazy, hectic family-event related schedule. So not much rest.

We couldn't get a marked stall, so went up the curb & parked on the median strip dirt. Lots of others did too.

Last summer I had planned to do a triathlon, so I had gone to watch this event, and it really helped having seen already how the event was run. I knew the parking was going to be chaotic, crazy, packed. The lot nearest the start area was going to fill up FAST. The park opened at 6 am and registration at 6:30 am. We planned to leave our house at 6 am. However, we were running late. I got up a 5 am and had breakfast including coffee, which I usually avoid. Coffee on race mornings is allowed. Got dressed and put my stuff in bags. Went over the checklist. But we still got out the door closer to 6:20 am. Uggg. Arrived at the race site about 6:40 am and already all of the regular parking slots were full. We parked up on the dirt of the median strip. We were only the 2nd car to try this, but I’d seen them doing it last year, so I encouraged my hubby to do so. Turned out to be fine and many people also did this.

I went to check in at registration while my hubby took the bike off the van. It was pretty quick, since I inadvertently took a cut in line and the guy behind me was really nice about it. They gave me everything I needed there…cap, ankle strap with timing chip, race bib, goodie bag…all of it. This was a bit confusing, though, since the process didn’t agree with the posted race instructions. I wasn’t sure if there was going to be a pre-race meeting with directions or if they were going to write our numbers on our bodies. So I asked the guy with the microphone making announcements. He said no body markings. Race instructions given at the starting line. Turns out we weren’t even required to wear our bibs at all, although they encouraged it for the run.

Partial view of the transition area, looking towards the run start end.

We went to set up my transition area next. Only racers were allowed in the transition area, so Jenny & Chris had to wait outside of that area for me. I had brought an old pink bathmat, a pink hand towel and an orange/red plaid beach towel that I hoped would be eye-catching. I found a rack where someone else had brought a cute flower decoration to put next to their bike, so I put mine next to that. I rehearsed running into the transition area from both directions (it served for both T1 and T2) and during the actual race I had no trouble finding my bike. Granted, this was a small race with just over 500 entrants total.

After I set everything up, I looked over my transition area.

When I was setting up my transition area, there were three guys at the bike rack next to mine who were talking to each other. One of them reminded the others to put the bike in lowest gear because our transition to the bike had a steep uphill immediately after the timing mat. I knew that because of my practice rides and watching this race last year, and had told myself I needed to do that. But somehow I forgot. I was so glad these guys reminded me!

Next a visit to the ladies room. Then sit down relax for 10 or 15 minutes. Bathroom again (sheesh?). Then it was now or never for the swim warmup, or no time in the water before the race, as they were calling for people to leave the warmup swim area so that the life guards could monitor the race course. I had waited until the last minute to do the swim warmup because my swim wave was last and I didn’t want to be standing around cold and wet for any longer than necessary.

I desperately needed to get in the water and reassure myself that the temp and conditions were going to be OK for me, so I quickly jumped in for short swim. Temp was supposedly around 70 degrees, and felt a bit cool, but mostly OK. Wet suit definitely not necessary, and quite a few people were not wearing them. But for some reason the lack of visibility in the water just kind of panics me. I felt like I couldn’t breathe. I told myself, “This is ridiculous…in a few minutes you will be swimming. You have to do it now. Just do it.” So I did make myself swim a few dozen yards and kind of felt OK with it.

My ankle strap with the timing chip didn’t feel very secure. I was afraid it was going to come off my ankle during the swim. I fidgeted with it a bit, but in the end just trusted it would all work out, and it did. Strap stayed on my ankle for the whole race. Air temp was in the mid-60s and getting warmer, so it wasn’t too bad standing around after the warmup swim, although I kept shivering, but that was probably from nerves.

Standing in ankle-deep water waiting for the swim start. I am in the purple tank top.

The race didn’t start on time. For some reason they had about a 15 minute delay. They told us this early, around 7:30 or so. After everyone exited the warmup swim area, we were standing around waiting for the other waves to start. One lady who had done this race before said the distances they report are not accurate, which I agree with. Course distances are listed as 300m swim, 8.5mile bike, 5k run. But according to my Garmin and Google Earth measurements, I think the distances are really closer to 250m swim, 8.88 mile bike, and probably more than a 5K run.

Go! I am on the left side in the purple racer-back tank

So after the other waves had gone (the longer course men and women and short course men), it was finally going to be our turn. The last start wave. We got into the ankle-deep water and waited for the start. I felt very positive at this point. And when the start sounded I rushed into the water with the rest, although I was staying to the back of the group and on the outside left. All turns on the course would be right turns.

So I started to swim, although at first I was holding my head up. Which I know is wrong. In the pool I have no trouble keeping my head down. But the dark water is scary or something. Maybe I just have to get used to it. But the first few strokes my head was up. And then I put my face down in it and tried to swim. And was OK for a few strokes, but I ran into someone. And came up sputtering and started dog-paddling or breast-stroking. I don’t remember. Floundering, really.

From this point I don’t have a clear recollection, except that I was kind of panicked. I did spend some time just floating on my back trying to pull it together. I did some backstroke. I was irritated with myself that I wasn’t just SWIMMING and turned over and tried again. I did actually pull it together again at one point and get some rhythm going and some confidence, only to run into someone doing breaststroke who was blocking my way. Back to floating on the back again. Grrr.

I thought about how I was ever going to finish this and get back to shore again. I thought, well, I certainly don’t need the lifeguards to come and get me. I KNOW how to swim. Then I turned over and tried some more. I took a lot more breaths than I do in the pool though, where I usually alternate sides every 3 strokes. Here I was breathing every 2 strokes and only on the right. I also noticed my legs were starting to feel tired and said, “Crap!” to myself. I know better than to use my legs too much when swimming, but in this panic I totally forgot and was kicking and struggling in the water way too much. At least at this point I tried to think about letting the legs rest and using mostly just my arms to save up something for the bike and run.

When I saw I had turned the last corner with the big orange bouy and was ready to start swimming to shore I was SO relieved! Almost back to shore. I swam towards it hoping to feel the sand under my feet soon. The sooner the better. Then running up to the transition area.

I'm running to the transition area to get on the bike.

I was one of the last swimmers out of the water. I was so irritated with myself for floundering, flailing, panicking. I know I can do much better, and I guess I will have a chance to do just that in the future.

I have my swim cap and goggles off as I run to Transition 1 for the bike.

I had been given advice to go slow on the transitions and that will make me fast. Well, I really WAS slow at T1. It took me 4:20 total. I sat down and spent time cleaning off my feet because I didn’t want any sand in my shoes for the run. I had a water bottle for squirting my feet clean, but this seemed anything but fast. Put the socks and shoes on. I didn’t have any of those fancy quick-ties for my shoes. Took a drink of water, donned my helmet, almost forgot my sunglasses and did forget to put on my Garmin 305. Bummer. I really wanted to time the last two legs of the race, with all the GPS data and so on.

Putting on my shoes and socks in T1.

Thank goodness I had put my bike in lowest gear in transition setup. I was able to easily ride the bike up the hill that is immediately after the transition area. Some people were really struggling with it, and even walking their bikes up.

Got my gear on and getting ready to bike it!

I had been worried about being cold and wet for the bike ride coming out of the water, but in truth I didn’t even notice it at all during the ride. I was very confident on the bike, because I had done a number of rides that were longer than this race, plus I had ridden my new bike 3 times, and done the bike course twice. I was actually passing some people during the bike. This part was a lot of fun for me and I felt good and strong. I did take two drinks from my bike water bottle, during downhill parts where I was just cruising. I did feel some burning in my quads and so I tried not to pedal too hard, because I knew I had to save something for the run that was still coming.

Just passed the uphill after T1 on the start of the bike.

Coming in from the bike, we had to be careful to slow down upon re-entering. We had to go back down the same hill we’d come up to re-enter the transition area for T2. Dismounting at the mat and trying to run with my bike to my rack. At least I had running shoes on. Legs didn’t feel too weird or wobbly. But I was tired and still had 5K to run.

End of the bike ride, approaching the transition area for T2. Feeling good.

In the transition area, I didn’t have too many changes to make. Took off my helmet and donned a cap. Put on my race number. Took a big swig of water.

In T2 almost ready to go, taking a drink before I run.

And then I was off on my reluctant legs. Well, they sort of remembered how to run. They were just a bit tired at this point. And I was running without my usual tool, my Garmin 305 that shows me my current pace. So I was trying to feel if I was going at a good clip that I could maintain throughout the entire 5K. I think I did a pretty good job on that, although I can’t be positive since I don’t have the data. They offered a water stop shortly after T2, but I’d just had a drink during transition, so I passed that by. I was running along and passing some people up. Actually, passing quite a few. It was tough, though. I did feel like I was slogging along and not really running my normal type of race. Trying hard to keep my pace up. Got to the turn around and was wishing for another water stop, but didn’t see any coming up. On the way back I passed a bathroom with drinking fountain, and stopped to use that, but the drinking fountain didn’t work. Darn. Running again, and a short bit later came to the last water stop, about a mile away from the finish. Took a cup and slowed a bit to drink. And then picked it up and started running again.

Leaving T2 and staring the run.

As I was coming around the last turn in the course and approaching the finish, I caught up to a couple of guys. But they saw me coming and sprinted away, unwilling to let me pass them. I wish I’d had enough left in my legs to go after them, but I was just all pooped out. Still, I finished pretty strong.

Here's my finish sprint...amost done!

My official time:  1:12:24
Swim: 7:23 (way too slow, whether it was really 300m or more like the 250m I believe)
T1: 4:20 (way too slow!)
Bike: 34:04 (pretty good for nearly 9 miles..works out to about 15.6 mph on a moderately hilly course. Happy with this)
T2: 1:29 (I’m happy with this but I didn’t change shoes, which would have slowed me down further)
Run: 25:08 (slow for me for a 5K. I’m usually well under 24. But I think this was more like 5.3K & I was tired)

I came out third in my age group, which was kind of cool, although there were only 4 competitors in my division (so I beat one person). The first two placers got 1:09 and change. The fourth place was almost an hour slower than I. Although it’s kind of interesting…the lady who won our age group wasn’t much faster than me on the swim (a bit under a minute) and both of her transitions were slower, and her run was slower. But her bike was LOTS faster. Almost 7 minutes faster. That’s where she won.

Hey, watch out, I will own your ass, and I have this medal to prove it.

Overall, I enjoyed this race immensely and will try to do more of this series in the future. 

What was good about this race? Small size. Friendly community. Lake swim as opposed to ocean. Short distance race. Lots of freebies/goodies handed out at the end (they had a raffle drawing based on bib numbers). I think this might be because of it is the 3rd and final race in the series.