bad news first, Joel is still deploying to Afghanistan, and everything is moving really fast since he was told on such short notice. Augusta 70.3 is still up in the air because of it. But now the good news. Although the race is sold out, I was able to get a charity slot to the Beach2Battleship Half Iron!
I cannot explain just how happy and excited I am about getting this slot. This race is consistently voted among the best non-ironman branded races in the country. Ever since I got into triathlon I have been eying this race. Coincidentally, Joel and I were talking about doing this race together next year after he get back home before I was even given this slot.
Crazy how it happened, I mentioned on BT (Beginner Triathlete) that I may not be at the Augusta 70.3 because of my situation, and how much it sucks because of NOLA 70.3 and Muncie 70.3 getting cut short. I mentioned I was interested in Beach2 Battleship Half but it was sold out. A very sweet guy emailed the race director on my behalf, and before I knew it I got a charity slot!
Whether I race Augusta 70.3 or not, I will still be standing on that beach in Wilmington, NC on the morning of October 20th. There is no way I would miss my shot at racing the epic Beach2Battleship Half. If I get to race Augusta 70.3, I will just do both races! I still hope I get to race Augusta, since I have friends from all over the country coming in to race it, but really, only time will tell if I will be jumping into the Savannah River with the female 25-29 age group in 36 days.
I really have to give Joel credit right now. He is taking this deployment thing all in stride. I have never seen him stay so positive in a situation like this. I have noticed overall in the past few months he has been generally more positive in light of not so positive things happening. I really believe cycling was the aspect missing in his life. Once he found cycling, something just clicked and he became a happier, less angry person. He is beyond excited about the Savannah Century next weekend, and to show my support for his passion I will be there at rider registration for my volunteer shift at 6:45 a.m.
I'm sad about this deployment, but I have no other choice but to accept it and keep going. When I am riding and running all over Wilmington, NC on October 20th, I know that no matter what crappy internet Joel will have out there, he will be tracking me on race day, and I will speed up knowing he is tracking me.
I'm Jillian,this is my journey from a morbidly obese woman to endurance athlete
Friday, August 24, 2012
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Race Report-Peachtree City Sprint Triathlon
After the disappointment at the Muncie 70.3 I wanted to add an extra race to August after the Acworth Women's Sprint Triathlon. I wanted to do a big race with a lot of people since I want to see how I stack up against a large field with fast people. My buddy Bill told me about the Peachtree City Sprint Tri and I was sold. They get about 1100 people, and a lot of fasties come out to give it a go, so this race was a perfect fit. Bill was already signed up, and after I signed up our friends Paul and Jay signed up as well. They all live in the Atlanta area and I am all by myself in the south of the state, but racing with my buddies I knew the 4 and a half hour drive would be well worth it.
It was a Saturday race, so we had to leave Friday night. Friday morning Joel came home from work around 9:30 in the morning, which was unusual for him. He then gave me the news that he was deploying to Afghanistan in less than 45 days. I was upset of course, this isn't our first deployment, it will be our 4th together, but this is the first time he has been told on such short notice. Also to add salt to the wound, he will be deploying the same week as the Augusta 70.3, so now my "A" race is up in the air. Now I am going into this race with all this on my mind.We arrived in Peachtree City Friday night and because of the long drive had to go strait to bed for our 3:30 wake-up. Joel was doing sherpa duty for this race.
Arrived early to the race site since we knew parking would be an issue. Got a great parking spot, picked up my packet, and got all the numbers in their proper places. Ran into Jay in the parking lot and chatted with him for a minute. Got to transition and WOW, it was huge for a sprint! It resembled the transition area of an ironman event
Ran into Bill in transition, chatted for a bit and checked out his new bike, it looked fast. After leaving transition we ran into Paul and his family. We all pretty much chatted until it was time for the race to start, always a great thing to do to calm the nerves
Swim:Because of the number of competitors and a short swim (.3 mile) the swim was a time trial start. With this many people this really was the best way to do it. 2 people would go off every few second, not exactly sure how many seconds. I was in the front of the middle of the line. I finally got into the water and it was great not having to fight with people for space in the water. It was a good open water swim for me, it felt strong, I was pushing it, and my sighting was decent for once. Swim time was 11:22
TI: Helmet and cycling shoes, grab bike, go! Time was 1:17
Bike: 14 miles.I knew there were going to be some rollers on the bike course. Although I don't have any hills to train on at home, I have been putting in a lot of work on the bike trainer. Tough, menacing sessions that make me want to cry. This was a sprint, so in my typical fashion in a sprint tri I hammered the entire course, standing up hammering going up the hills. I am getting more comfortable going down hills as well, so I was able to get a nice tuck in the aerobars and fly down the hills as well. This was a fun, fast bike course. Bike time was 38:02 (22 mph average)
T2: I knew I had a good bike split so I was anxious to get out on the run. Then I had a panic moment, I WAS LOST IN TRANSITION. I could not find my spot, I must have spent about 20-30 seconds looking for my spot. I finally found it and was panicking about how long I was taking. Racked bike, tossed helmet off, running hat on, cycling shoes off, running shoes on, grabbed race belt, go! I sprinted to the run start. Time was 1:22
Run:(3.1 miles) Run was through a paved trailed in the woods so you could really feel the humidity. I felt good and was at my 5k pace, was thanking all the volunteers. At mile 2 I was relieved the run was almost over, and then there was a series of steep little hills. Got through them, my run time was slower than I was hoping for, but I'll take it. Run time was 24:28
Total race time was 1:16:29
Since this was the 10th year of the Peachtree City Triathlon they were handing out sweet looking finisher's medals at the finish line that commemorated the 10th year. Hung out with Joel and Bill and waited for Paul to come across the finish line. The preliminary results had me as first in my age group (which shocked me in such a huge race) but with the time trial start you don't really know how you placed until everyone finishes. Paul entered the finish line chute and we cheered him into the finish. We found out later Jay had issues in the swim and was unable to finish. He is strong willed so I know he will bounce back from this experience.
Because of the preliminary results we decided to stick around for the awards ceremony after gathering my stuff from transition. Hung out with everyone and talked bike, life, and the upcoming deployment. It is awesome to know I have such great friends to lean on for support in the coming months. Finally they posted the results, I had won my age group, and Bill had won Master Clydesdale.
At the awards ceremony we got our moment
We had to check out of the hotel and get on the road back home, so we had to say a quick goodbye to our friends. It hit me on the drive home that this was the last race of the year where Joel would be there (in person) for me. I don't know what the next few months have in store for us, but no matter what we will make it through.
It was a Saturday race, so we had to leave Friday night. Friday morning Joel came home from work around 9:30 in the morning, which was unusual for him. He then gave me the news that he was deploying to Afghanistan in less than 45 days. I was upset of course, this isn't our first deployment, it will be our 4th together, but this is the first time he has been told on such short notice. Also to add salt to the wound, he will be deploying the same week as the Augusta 70.3, so now my "A" race is up in the air. Now I am going into this race with all this on my mind.We arrived in Peachtree City Friday night and because of the long drive had to go strait to bed for our 3:30 wake-up. Joel was doing sherpa duty for this race.
Arrived early to the race site since we knew parking would be an issue. Got a great parking spot, picked up my packet, and got all the numbers in their proper places. Ran into Jay in the parking lot and chatted with him for a minute. Got to transition and WOW, it was huge for a sprint! It resembled the transition area of an ironman event
Ran into Bill in transition, chatted for a bit and checked out his new bike, it looked fast. After leaving transition we ran into Paul and his family. We all pretty much chatted until it was time for the race to start, always a great thing to do to calm the nerves
 | ||||||
| Left to right: Paul, Jay, Anthony(Paul's son), Joel, me |
Swim:Because of the number of competitors and a short swim (.3 mile) the swim was a time trial start. With this many people this really was the best way to do it. 2 people would go off every few second, not exactly sure how many seconds. I was in the front of the middle of the line. I finally got into the water and it was great not having to fight with people for space in the water. It was a good open water swim for me, it felt strong, I was pushing it, and my sighting was decent for once. Swim time was 11:22
TI: Helmet and cycling shoes, grab bike, go! Time was 1:17
Bike: 14 miles.I knew there were going to be some rollers on the bike course. Although I don't have any hills to train on at home, I have been putting in a lot of work on the bike trainer. Tough, menacing sessions that make me want to cry. This was a sprint, so in my typical fashion in a sprint tri I hammered the entire course, standing up hammering going up the hills. I am getting more comfortable going down hills as well, so I was able to get a nice tuck in the aerobars and fly down the hills as well. This was a fun, fast bike course. Bike time was 38:02 (22 mph average)
T2: I knew I had a good bike split so I was anxious to get out on the run. Then I had a panic moment, I WAS LOST IN TRANSITION. I could not find my spot, I must have spent about 20-30 seconds looking for my spot. I finally found it and was panicking about how long I was taking. Racked bike, tossed helmet off, running hat on, cycling shoes off, running shoes on, grabbed race belt, go! I sprinted to the run start. Time was 1:22
Run:(3.1 miles) Run was through a paved trailed in the woods so you could really feel the humidity. I felt good and was at my 5k pace, was thanking all the volunteers. At mile 2 I was relieved the run was almost over, and then there was a series of steep little hills. Got through them, my run time was slower than I was hoping for, but I'll take it. Run time was 24:28
Total race time was 1:16:29
Since this was the 10th year of the Peachtree City Triathlon they were handing out sweet looking finisher's medals at the finish line that commemorated the 10th year. Hung out with Joel and Bill and waited for Paul to come across the finish line. The preliminary results had me as first in my age group (which shocked me in such a huge race) but with the time trial start you don't really know how you placed until everyone finishes. Paul entered the finish line chute and we cheered him into the finish. We found out later Jay had issues in the swim and was unable to finish. He is strong willed so I know he will bounce back from this experience.
 |
| Left to right: Me, Joel, Paul, Bill |
Because of the preliminary results we decided to stick around for the awards ceremony after gathering my stuff from transition. Hung out with everyone and talked bike, life, and the upcoming deployment. It is awesome to know I have such great friends to lean on for support in the coming months. Finally they posted the results, I had won my age group, and Bill had won Master Clydesdale.
At the awards ceremony we got our moment
Friday, August 17, 2012
Well this puts a damper in the plans
Found out this morning that Joel will be deploying to Afghanistan in less than 45 days. Up to now, he was told he was going to be on the rear detachment during the deployment. This is a bummer, will be Joel's 3rd deployment, and our 4th together.
So Rev 3 Florida is out, we were going to do that race together. I don't want to do a 70.3 that far away from home by myself, and I don't want to drag Loraine, the girls, and the dogs down there, so I am out, but hope I get to do the race in the future.
We have never been notified of a deployment on such short notice, usually we know for about 8-11 months when he is deploying, so today we are trying to let it sink in, but there is so much to be done in preparation for it.
We are leaving for Peachtree City in a few hours for the Peachtree City Sprint Triathlon tomorrow. Right now we are just going to enjoy our weekend together and tackle the life problems on Monday. Right now we are just overwhelmed by the news.
He would be deploying sometime in the week of Augusta 70.3. We are both stressing about this. I want to race and Joel wants me to race. If he leaves the day of the race I won't be able to race. I just wish we knew, I would hate to kill myself with all this training just to find out I can't do the race, especially after the way this year has been going for me with 70.3s.
Deployments are part of the Army life. The Army provides us with a good life and I accept that deployments are how Joel gives back for the life the Army provides for us. But I still don't have to like it.
One of my big dream goals is to do 2 ironmans in one year, Joel told me to go for it while he is gone............
So Rev 3 Florida is out, we were going to do that race together. I don't want to do a 70.3 that far away from home by myself, and I don't want to drag Loraine, the girls, and the dogs down there, so I am out, but hope I get to do the race in the future.
We have never been notified of a deployment on such short notice, usually we know for about 8-11 months when he is deploying, so today we are trying to let it sink in, but there is so much to be done in preparation for it.
We are leaving for Peachtree City in a few hours for the Peachtree City Sprint Triathlon tomorrow. Right now we are just going to enjoy our weekend together and tackle the life problems on Monday. Right now we are just overwhelmed by the news.
He would be deploying sometime in the week of Augusta 70.3. We are both stressing about this. I want to race and Joel wants me to race. If he leaves the day of the race I won't be able to race. I just wish we knew, I would hate to kill myself with all this training just to find out I can't do the race, especially after the way this year has been going for me with 70.3s.
Deployments are part of the Army life. The Army provides us with a good life and I accept that deployments are how Joel gives back for the life the Army provides for us. But I still don't have to like it.
One of my big dream goals is to do 2 ironmans in one year, Joel told me to go for it while he is gone............
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
So Simple, But it Works
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| This side reads "NEVER FORGET 286" which was how much I weighed when I reached my breaking point |
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| The other side reads "KEEP GOING" |
Over the past 2 years I have worn the bracelet often. Mostly in my casual clothes, occasionally during training, but never in a race. After the 2 mental hits of having my 70.3 races cut short I felt like I needed the extra motivation for Sunday's race. It feels like my old life as a morbidly obese woman was so long ago, and I needed a reminder.
Being at this particular race, and seeing all the women there on journeys of there own, and remembering being in that exact same spot, was a real eye opener of how far I have come. Looking down at my wrist I am suddenly reminded that I was once a 286 pound woman struggling to finish a trip to the grocery store, and I must keep going.
Monday, August 6, 2012
Race Report-PT Solutions Acworth All Women Sprint Triathlon
This post is going to lack pictures, but since we had no sherpa, nobody there to take pics........
Anyway, the race was yesterday, was an amazing race and gave me the confidence I had been lacking for a few weeks. I did well on a hilly course proving to myself I am not just a flat lander one trick pony. Although it was my slowest run ever in a sprint tri I am fine with it considering there were several steep hills and the only way is up. It was Loraine's first race (of any type) and I am so unbelievably proud of her for taking on this challenge and finishing the race.
Left Saturday afternoon for the 5 hour drive to Acworth, GA, north of Atlanta. Checked into the hotel and headed to packet pick-up. Packet pick-up was at a shop called PTS Sports, and it was the most amazing triathlon store I have ever seen, we just had to walk around the whole store and drool. Then I saw it, my dream bike, a Felt DA! I have never seen one in person, I fondled it like Ralphie fondled the leg lamp in "A Christmas Story". After I was finished fantasizing about that bike, we heading out to eat dinner, and then hang out at my cousin's house, he lived in the next town over. Haven't seen them in about 3 years, so it was fun to visit and see their kids, they got so big, but as we know, all kids do that. Went back to the hotel to toss and turn all night.
Race morning we got to transition around 6. Met my friend Jay who was volunteering, Was great having a buddy there volunteering, talked to him for a few minutes then went to set up transition. Loraine has been to almost every race I have done over the past 2 years so she already knew how to set up transition. Was really cool that she was actually racing with me for this one. Even though she was in the next age group, our numbers were together numerical so we got to set up right next to each other. We had someone take this pic for us after we finished setting up transition
After wandering around for awhile, since the first wave wasn't going off until 7:30, and I was in the last wave, I ran into The Swim Bike Mom of www.swimbikemom.com was really awesome to meet her in person after reading her blog for so long.
The swim was in a lake, Loraine and I went in the water to warm up a little, then we noticed something that just made us crack up laughing. This was a big race, roughly 600 women, all over the lake in the water there were a few women doing a few swim strokes to warm up, but what made us crack up were clicks of women in random groups all over the water, probably about 100 women in the water total, the rest were on the beach doing the same thing. I told Loraine it looks like we're all here just hanging out like a big party. But really, in a way, it was like a big party. Yes, it was still a race, but also was a celebration of life and health. All the women in attendance, of all shapes and sizes, were capable of finishing a sprint triathlon, and they were here to prove it.
The race was starting, I was in the last wave with the red caps, Loraine was in the wave before me with the yellow caps. After cheering for all the other waves it was our turn, I gave Loraine a hug and told her good luck and I'd see her at the finish line, time to rock.
Swim: 400 yard swim. I learned from the Tybee Sprint in June that in order to get in a good position in the swim I have to get at the front of the crowd and be aggressive for the first 50 meters. I got in the very front and when the horn went off I sprinted to the first buoy. I was in the front swim pack and I felt great and not winded at all. At about the 200 yard point the front pack dropped me, but no worries, I was trilled I stayed with the fishies as long as I did and showed me I really am making progress in swimming. Hopefully next year I'll be able to stay with them the whole swim. I finished the swim at my pace and felt great and ready to ride, swim time includes run up the beach to the entrance to T1: 9:23
T1: Put on cycling shoes and helmet and grabbed bike. Loraine's bike was still there and I was just hoping she would make the swim cut-off. I took one last glance at the transition entrance as I was leaving to see if she was coming but she wasn't. I said a quick hello to Jay working transition and mounted my bike at the mount line. T1 was :56
Bike 13 miles: Loraine and I had driven the bike course the day before so I knew what to expect. I knew where the hills were going to be and knew how big they were. The best part of being in the last swim wave? Plenty of people to follow! I love big races, and this race sure fit the bill, lots of girls on the bike course. Since it was only a sprint I mashed the hills and hammered up them. I didn't ride the brakes down the hills since my bike skills have improved. There were hills on the course but I had a blast, I think I was just taking in the atmosphere of this fun race and having a great time. I actually had fun going up and down the hills. Before I knew it I was heading back to transition. Saw Jay again, this time he was in the road directing us back to transition, gave him another wave and he cheered me on again. Bike time was 39:22, which I was happy with not only considering the hills, but back in March at the Athens Sprint tri I did 40 mins and some change on a hilly 12 mile bike course, so I am seeing big progress with my cycling, I bet it would get even better if I actually had hills to train on.
T2 racked my bike and flicked my cycling shoes off. Took off helmet, put on running hat, put on running shoes and race belt. Loraine's bike was gone so I was relieved knowing that she was out on the bike course and would be finishing this thing. T2 time was :54
Run 3.1 miles: Right out of T2 there was a massive hill, well the only way is up so I got too it, lots of ladies were already walking up this hill. Got to the top and was rewarded with a nice downhill. Turned the first corner and saw Jay again and got some more encouragement, and another hill. This was the theme of the run course, up and down. A few false flats as well. I looked down at my Garmin and something was off, it was telling me :31 seconds per 100 yards........ARG! After the bike I accidentally switched it to swim mode and not run mode. Oh well, I still had the timing and the course was well marked. Even with the hills I was able to keep a decent pace. This ended up being my slowest run ever in a sprint, but my first sprint race with this many hills on the run. One last hill, turn the corner and there was the finish line, they did an awesome job on the finish line set-up. Run time was 25:40
Total race time was 1:16:13
After I took a minute to stop being delirious, I spotted one of my tri heroes Jackie Stringer, volunteering at the finish line. I got a great big hug from her and chatted for a bit, she is such a sweet person and it is so unfortunate she got in a bike accident a few weeks ago and wasn't able to do the race. She was handing out finisher medals at the finish line, cheering loudly for every woman approaching the finish line. I told her I was waiting for my best friend, and she told me I could put her finisher's medal on her when she came in. I was excited about this. I went back out on the course about .12 or so from the finish line to wait for Loraine. I was at the top of the final hill so I would be able to encourage her up the last hill. Loraine is just starting out and hasn't built up running yet, so I knew she would be hurting, I really wasn't sure if she would be happy to see me, or be mad at me for talking her into doing the race. I finally saw her coming up the hill, she was walking up the hill, but picked back up to a jog once she got to the top. I was jumping up and down and cheering, telling her I was proud of her, she didn't look very happy at that moment. I sprinted back to the finish line so I could put the finisher's medal around her neck. She crossed the finish line looking absolutely wrecked and a little teary eyed. I put the finisher's medal around her neck and gave her a big hug and told her how proud I was.
I took Loraine somewhere to sit down and stop being delirious. They announced the preliminary results were posted, I knew Loraine was going to need some time so I went to go check them while she relaxed for a few minutes. I didn't see my name listed in my age group so I wondered if I did something to get myself disqualified. I noticed that the sheet I was looking at for my age group started at 4th place, I kept going down the list and didn't see my name at all. Finally I looked at the prior sheet and found my name, 2nd place in my age group! I was in total shock. This was a big race, 37 people in my age group alone, and there were hills. I really though I blew my chances with that run, but today my best was good enough to get on the podium.I placed 22nd out of 522 finishers.
We waited around for the awards ceremony, which was a little stressful, considering we had to be checked out of our hotel at noon or be charged another night and the finish line and transition area were in separate locations. They had a shuttle we could get a ride with a few blocks down. Around 10:40 they started the awards, they went in age order, so my age group was at the beginning of the ceremony. I usually stay to the end of awards to cheer for everyone, but today we had to cut out after I received mine. We caught the shuttle around 11, got back to transition and packed up quickly, grabbed our bikes, and practically race walked back to the car. Got to the hotel around 11:30, I took a 5 minute shower (haven't showered that quick since I was in the Army) while Loraine packed our stuff and the car. Loraine took a 5 minute shower and I finished packing the car. Checked out of the hotel at 11:52, just under the wire.
This race was just awesome. Awesome doesn't even give it justice. It was by far the best sprint I have ever done. It was like one big race party. The post face food even included chocolate fondue! Every girl I encountered was so friendly and it was so nice to see so many smiling faces. Everyone was cheering each other on and was so encouraging. It is the day after and I am already looking forward to doing this race again next year, well worth the 5 hour drive.
There were a lot of first-timers there, including Loraine. So incredibly awesome to see so many women achieve something they set their mind to. You could see the pride beaming in their face as they ran through the finish line chute. Triathlon is more than just a sport, it is also a lifestyle.
Here is my second place age group award and my finisher's medal
Anyway, the race was yesterday, was an amazing race and gave me the confidence I had been lacking for a few weeks. I did well on a hilly course proving to myself I am not just a flat lander one trick pony. Although it was my slowest run ever in a sprint tri I am fine with it considering there were several steep hills and the only way is up. It was Loraine's first race (of any type) and I am so unbelievably proud of her for taking on this challenge and finishing the race.
Left Saturday afternoon for the 5 hour drive to Acworth, GA, north of Atlanta. Checked into the hotel and headed to packet pick-up. Packet pick-up was at a shop called PTS Sports, and it was the most amazing triathlon store I have ever seen, we just had to walk around the whole store and drool. Then I saw it, my dream bike, a Felt DA! I have never seen one in person, I fondled it like Ralphie fondled the leg lamp in "A Christmas Story". After I was finished fantasizing about that bike, we heading out to eat dinner, and then hang out at my cousin's house, he lived in the next town over. Haven't seen them in about 3 years, so it was fun to visit and see their kids, they got so big, but as we know, all kids do that. Went back to the hotel to toss and turn all night.
Race morning we got to transition around 6. Met my friend Jay who was volunteering, Was great having a buddy there volunteering, talked to him for a few minutes then went to set up transition. Loraine has been to almost every race I have done over the past 2 years so she already knew how to set up transition. Was really cool that she was actually racing with me for this one. Even though she was in the next age group, our numbers were together numerical so we got to set up right next to each other. We had someone take this pic for us after we finished setting up transition
After wandering around for awhile, since the first wave wasn't going off until 7:30, and I was in the last wave, I ran into The Swim Bike Mom of www.swimbikemom.com was really awesome to meet her in person after reading her blog for so long.
The swim was in a lake, Loraine and I went in the water to warm up a little, then we noticed something that just made us crack up laughing. This was a big race, roughly 600 women, all over the lake in the water there were a few women doing a few swim strokes to warm up, but what made us crack up were clicks of women in random groups all over the water, probably about 100 women in the water total, the rest were on the beach doing the same thing. I told Loraine it looks like we're all here just hanging out like a big party. But really, in a way, it was like a big party. Yes, it was still a race, but also was a celebration of life and health. All the women in attendance, of all shapes and sizes, were capable of finishing a sprint triathlon, and they were here to prove it.
The race was starting, I was in the last wave with the red caps, Loraine was in the wave before me with the yellow caps. After cheering for all the other waves it was our turn, I gave Loraine a hug and told her good luck and I'd see her at the finish line, time to rock.
Swim: 400 yard swim. I learned from the Tybee Sprint in June that in order to get in a good position in the swim I have to get at the front of the crowd and be aggressive for the first 50 meters. I got in the very front and when the horn went off I sprinted to the first buoy. I was in the front swim pack and I felt great and not winded at all. At about the 200 yard point the front pack dropped me, but no worries, I was trilled I stayed with the fishies as long as I did and showed me I really am making progress in swimming. Hopefully next year I'll be able to stay with them the whole swim. I finished the swim at my pace and felt great and ready to ride, swim time includes run up the beach to the entrance to T1: 9:23
T1: Put on cycling shoes and helmet and grabbed bike. Loraine's bike was still there and I was just hoping she would make the swim cut-off. I took one last glance at the transition entrance as I was leaving to see if she was coming but she wasn't. I said a quick hello to Jay working transition and mounted my bike at the mount line. T1 was :56
Bike 13 miles: Loraine and I had driven the bike course the day before so I knew what to expect. I knew where the hills were going to be and knew how big they were. The best part of being in the last swim wave? Plenty of people to follow! I love big races, and this race sure fit the bill, lots of girls on the bike course. Since it was only a sprint I mashed the hills and hammered up them. I didn't ride the brakes down the hills since my bike skills have improved. There were hills on the course but I had a blast, I think I was just taking in the atmosphere of this fun race and having a great time. I actually had fun going up and down the hills. Before I knew it I was heading back to transition. Saw Jay again, this time he was in the road directing us back to transition, gave him another wave and he cheered me on again. Bike time was 39:22, which I was happy with not only considering the hills, but back in March at the Athens Sprint tri I did 40 mins and some change on a hilly 12 mile bike course, so I am seeing big progress with my cycling, I bet it would get even better if I actually had hills to train on.
T2 racked my bike and flicked my cycling shoes off. Took off helmet, put on running hat, put on running shoes and race belt. Loraine's bike was gone so I was relieved knowing that she was out on the bike course and would be finishing this thing. T2 time was :54
Run 3.1 miles: Right out of T2 there was a massive hill, well the only way is up so I got too it, lots of ladies were already walking up this hill. Got to the top and was rewarded with a nice downhill. Turned the first corner and saw Jay again and got some more encouragement, and another hill. This was the theme of the run course, up and down. A few false flats as well. I looked down at my Garmin and something was off, it was telling me :31 seconds per 100 yards........ARG! After the bike I accidentally switched it to swim mode and not run mode. Oh well, I still had the timing and the course was well marked. Even with the hills I was able to keep a decent pace. This ended up being my slowest run ever in a sprint, but my first sprint race with this many hills on the run. One last hill, turn the corner and there was the finish line, they did an awesome job on the finish line set-up. Run time was 25:40
Total race time was 1:16:13
After I took a minute to stop being delirious, I spotted one of my tri heroes Jackie Stringer, volunteering at the finish line. I got a great big hug from her and chatted for a bit, she is such a sweet person and it is so unfortunate she got in a bike accident a few weeks ago and wasn't able to do the race. She was handing out finisher medals at the finish line, cheering loudly for every woman approaching the finish line. I told her I was waiting for my best friend, and she told me I could put her finisher's medal on her when she came in. I was excited about this. I went back out on the course about .12 or so from the finish line to wait for Loraine. I was at the top of the final hill so I would be able to encourage her up the last hill. Loraine is just starting out and hasn't built up running yet, so I knew she would be hurting, I really wasn't sure if she would be happy to see me, or be mad at me for talking her into doing the race. I finally saw her coming up the hill, she was walking up the hill, but picked back up to a jog once she got to the top. I was jumping up and down and cheering, telling her I was proud of her, she didn't look very happy at that moment. I sprinted back to the finish line so I could put the finisher's medal around her neck. She crossed the finish line looking absolutely wrecked and a little teary eyed. I put the finisher's medal around her neck and gave her a big hug and told her how proud I was.
I took Loraine somewhere to sit down and stop being delirious. They announced the preliminary results were posted, I knew Loraine was going to need some time so I went to go check them while she relaxed for a few minutes. I didn't see my name listed in my age group so I wondered if I did something to get myself disqualified. I noticed that the sheet I was looking at for my age group started at 4th place, I kept going down the list and didn't see my name at all. Finally I looked at the prior sheet and found my name, 2nd place in my age group! I was in total shock. This was a big race, 37 people in my age group alone, and there were hills. I really though I blew my chances with that run, but today my best was good enough to get on the podium.I placed 22nd out of 522 finishers.
We waited around for the awards ceremony, which was a little stressful, considering we had to be checked out of our hotel at noon or be charged another night and the finish line and transition area were in separate locations. They had a shuttle we could get a ride with a few blocks down. Around 10:40 they started the awards, they went in age order, so my age group was at the beginning of the ceremony. I usually stay to the end of awards to cheer for everyone, but today we had to cut out after I received mine. We caught the shuttle around 11, got back to transition and packed up quickly, grabbed our bikes, and practically race walked back to the car. Got to the hotel around 11:30, I took a 5 minute shower (haven't showered that quick since I was in the Army) while Loraine packed our stuff and the car. Loraine took a 5 minute shower and I finished packing the car. Checked out of the hotel at 11:52, just under the wire.
This race was just awesome. Awesome doesn't even give it justice. It was by far the best sprint I have ever done. It was like one big race party. The post face food even included chocolate fondue! Every girl I encountered was so friendly and it was so nice to see so many smiling faces. Everyone was cheering each other on and was so encouraging. It is the day after and I am already looking forward to doing this race again next year, well worth the 5 hour drive.
There were a lot of first-timers there, including Loraine. So incredibly awesome to see so many women achieve something they set their mind to. You could see the pride beaming in their face as they ran through the finish line chute. Triathlon is more than just a sport, it is also a lifestyle.
Friday, August 3, 2012
YAY! Race day is upon us!
So I am not normally to the moon with excitement about a sprint, I usually reserve that for long races, but Sunday is my "A" sprint of the year. I signed up for this race back in February, the Acworth PT Solutions All Women's Sprint Triathlon.
Looking at the results from the last few years, I don't think I have a shot at the podium, those are some fast girls! Like I have mentioned several times before, that is not what is important to me. What matters to me is that I have a good race and know that I gave it all I could for that day. I will get a chance to see where I stand against the REALLY fast girls, and that is exciting to me. The bike has hills, and of course as always I have absolutely no hill training here in pancake land, but I seem to do ok in sprints with hills so I think I'll be fine.
This race is going to be a big celebration. It will be Loraine's first race, she is just in it to finish, and I couldn't be more proud. Since she is not competitive, I wanted her first race to be a big race, with finisher's medals, and found that with this race. I really think for a first timer who is not competitive, she may feel a little more comfortable in an all woman race.
There will be a lot of first timers, and after I finish, and then go back and find Loraine on the course and bring her to the finish line, I will stay at the finish line until the end cheering on everyone until the final finisher. There will be a lot of ladies doing that, that is what makes this sport so great.
There will be a lot of first timers, and a lot of ladies I interact with online that I will finally get to meet. Of course, new friends to make as well. We are all bonded by the love of triathlon.
Its a 5 hour drive for us up to the race site. Loraine and I will be leaving tomorrow morning to pick up our race packets and stay the night in Acworth. I am in the last wave, she is in the wave before mine. Will let you know how the race goes.
Hope to see some of you ladies out there!
Looking at the results from the last few years, I don't think I have a shot at the podium, those are some fast girls! Like I have mentioned several times before, that is not what is important to me. What matters to me is that I have a good race and know that I gave it all I could for that day. I will get a chance to see where I stand against the REALLY fast girls, and that is exciting to me. The bike has hills, and of course as always I have absolutely no hill training here in pancake land, but I seem to do ok in sprints with hills so I think I'll be fine.
This race is going to be a big celebration. It will be Loraine's first race, she is just in it to finish, and I couldn't be more proud. Since she is not competitive, I wanted her first race to be a big race, with finisher's medals, and found that with this race. I really think for a first timer who is not competitive, she may feel a little more comfortable in an all woman race.
There will be a lot of first timers, and after I finish, and then go back and find Loraine on the course and bring her to the finish line, I will stay at the finish line until the end cheering on everyone until the final finisher. There will be a lot of ladies doing that, that is what makes this sport so great.
There will be a lot of first timers, and a lot of ladies I interact with online that I will finally get to meet. Of course, new friends to make as well. We are all bonded by the love of triathlon.
Its a 5 hour drive for us up to the race site. Loraine and I will be leaving tomorrow morning to pick up our race packets and stay the night in Acworth. I am in the last wave, she is in the wave before mine. Will let you know how the race goes.
Hope to see some of you ladies out there!
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
Out of the Army Ten-Miler
Joel and I decided not to do the Army ten-miler. The big reason is, we were going to stay with my parents, but we will be missing one thing crucial when making a trip to see grandparents, the girls.
We got the 2012-2013 school year calendar for Laci, our oldest, as well as the "rulebook". Not only is that weekend not a holiday weekend for the kids, school policy states that 5 unexcused absences in one school year will result in a social worker coming to your house. We don't want that to happen. We won't go all the way up there without the girls, so for this reason we are out.
I am grateful the Army has provided us with such a nice life, but being so far away from family is tough at times. My mom and dad miss the girls so much, but it is hard to load up the car and just drive 11 hours. Even more than that, Joel's parents live in California. Since Laci started school last year, it has been even harder for us to get away and make the drive to my parents. Laci's days off don't always coincide with Joel's day off, and Joel just can't take days off and take off 700 mile away every time Laci has a day off from school. Like I have written before, a mountain of paperwork is required for Joel to be able to leave the area. It gets frustrating.
I am trying not to come off as complaining, like I said the Army has provided us with a nice life, and with the state of the nation I am thankful Joel is employed and we have a roof over our head and food on the table.
Monday I sold our bibs for the Army ten-miler, the people that bought our bibs were very grateful, and we are glad we were able to make someone's day.
A positive about the situation, the weekend after the Army ten-miler is the Rev3 Florida half iron, and I was concerned that the Army ten-miler would make an impact on our half iron, now we can just focus of the half iron, the last tri of the year. Also, DC is quite a drive, so is Sarasota, that would be a lot of traveling in a 1-week time period.
Since Laci started school, we have been struggling to find a balance with seeing the grandparents. We came so very close to going to Fort Drum, which would have put us dramatically closer to my parents, but when the branch manager tried to put Joel on orders to Fort Drum, he couldn't because 3rd ID has what is called a "fence" on every soldier in the computer system. A fence is only supposed to be there right before and right after a deployment, but this fence has been there since the week we got here to Fort Stewart, and has never been lifted. When branch told Joel about how they tried to get him to Fort Drum, Joel tried all he could to get the fence removed, but it wasn't happening. The fence is still there, with no chance of it disappearing.
One day we will run the Army ten-miler, that race isn't going anywhere.
We got the 2012-2013 school year calendar for Laci, our oldest, as well as the "rulebook". Not only is that weekend not a holiday weekend for the kids, school policy states that 5 unexcused absences in one school year will result in a social worker coming to your house. We don't want that to happen. We won't go all the way up there without the girls, so for this reason we are out.
I am grateful the Army has provided us with such a nice life, but being so far away from family is tough at times. My mom and dad miss the girls so much, but it is hard to load up the car and just drive 11 hours. Even more than that, Joel's parents live in California. Since Laci started school last year, it has been even harder for us to get away and make the drive to my parents. Laci's days off don't always coincide with Joel's day off, and Joel just can't take days off and take off 700 mile away every time Laci has a day off from school. Like I have written before, a mountain of paperwork is required for Joel to be able to leave the area. It gets frustrating.
I am trying not to come off as complaining, like I said the Army has provided us with a nice life, and with the state of the nation I am thankful Joel is employed and we have a roof over our head and food on the table.
Monday I sold our bibs for the Army ten-miler, the people that bought our bibs were very grateful, and we are glad we were able to make someone's day.
A positive about the situation, the weekend after the Army ten-miler is the Rev3 Florida half iron, and I was concerned that the Army ten-miler would make an impact on our half iron, now we can just focus of the half iron, the last tri of the year. Also, DC is quite a drive, so is Sarasota, that would be a lot of traveling in a 1-week time period.
Since Laci started school, we have been struggling to find a balance with seeing the grandparents. We came so very close to going to Fort Drum, which would have put us dramatically closer to my parents, but when the branch manager tried to put Joel on orders to Fort Drum, he couldn't because 3rd ID has what is called a "fence" on every soldier in the computer system. A fence is only supposed to be there right before and right after a deployment, but this fence has been there since the week we got here to Fort Stewart, and has never been lifted. When branch told Joel about how they tried to get him to Fort Drum, Joel tried all he could to get the fence removed, but it wasn't happening. The fence is still there, with no chance of it disappearing.
One day we will run the Army ten-miler, that race isn't going anywhere.
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