Jumping in at Masters Swim

Our local YWCA has been offering Masters swim classes for a couple of years, but I've always been too intimidated to try it. I've gotten a little faster this summer, though, and have been doing plenty of intervals in the pool. They kicked me out of my lane a couple of weeks ago when I was doing my last long swim before Rev 3. As I was moving over to an empty lane, I started talking with one of the guys in the class, and he seemed really nice. The group was doing a workout that seemed manageable, and the "slow" lane had a woman I know that swims my pace. I decided that after Rev3, I'd sign up and come back.

Fast forward to this past Thursday when I figured I'd be recovered enough to join the group. I introduced myself to Beth, the instructor. I was really excited to get started until she wrote BREASTSTROKE on the white board. We started doing drills. Apparently I've been doing the whip kick wrong for twenty years. You know, since level 3 of swimming lessons...oops. I do this weird hybrid between a whip kick and a scissors kick that really doesn't belong in the presence of several former collegiate swimmers. Beth gave the others their drills to do. She gave me "modified" drills so I could get the basics down a little better. She had to stop me at the end of the lane several times to give me pointers. It was MORTIFYING! For me, feeling like I'm holding a group of people back is the worst, and that's exactly what I did for most of the class. After the drills, we did 9 x 75 IMs with different combinations of breast, back, free, and fly. Since I now know I can't do the breast with any sort of correct form and I can't do the fly for more than a few strokes, I had to alternate between back-free-back and free-back-free. I apologized to the guy in my lane several times, and repeatedly apologized to Beth. That sinking feeling of not being good enough to be there hung over my head the entire hour.

I'm not a swimmer by trade. I passed all of my swimming lessons when I was young and have always loved swimming for fun. I took to the distance pretty fast when I decided to train for my first tri in 2004. Steve and I taught ourselves Total Immersion in 2005. Since then, I have worked on improving my form and speed. I'm still not fast at all - around 2:00/100, but I'm comfortable in the water and generally enjoy it. I guess that's why I was so surprised to feel like a kindergartner in an algebra class on my first day. I talked to the instructor after class and asked her whether I was just in way over my head. She was very gracious and told me that she has swimmers of all different levels in her classes and that she's taught people who are afraid to put their faces in the water. Somehow that didn't make me feel any better. When I told her that I've done Ironman a couple of times and that I'm generally comfortable with the distance, she looked genuinely shocked. I'm not sure that was a compliment.

I know that sticking with this will be good for me. It'll be great to meet some new people and improve all of my swim strokes. It will keep me motivated to get in the pool this winter, something that I struggle with every off season. Eventually, it'll make me faster, too. I can tell that already. I'm planning on going back for at least a few more classes. I'm sure that if I can just get over the initial embarrassment, I really will have fun. On nights when we focus on free and endurance, I'll be fine. I'm already a little nervous for this Thursday, though, when we focus on the butterfly. Gulp.

Happy swimming everybody!

Rev3 Half Iron Distance Race Report

Grab a cup of coffee, folks. This is going to be a long one. I won't have pictures until later. Steve's still fixing them up because he took over FIVE HUNDRED shots this weekend. He was the most amazing sherpa ever.

I was a huge mix of emotions coming into this race. I was excited to be racing my ninth half iron distance race, stoked to be doing my first official race with my Evotri teammates, and nervous as hell that I would fall flat on my face. I'd been working my butt off this summer for this race - literally and figuratively. I have been chasing this elusive sub-6 half iron distance ever since I came in at 6:06 on a short course at Chisago last year. That 20 minute PR planted the seed that maybe, just maybe, I could eventually see a 5 at the beginning of my finish time. I had major taper brain, though, and the last couple of weeks have been really rough on me mentally. In addition to having had a stressful couple of weeks at work, all I could think about was the workouts I missed this summer and how I may have thrown away my chance to really rock this distance. I trained more for this half than I've ever trained for a half. Having a coach has really kept me accountable, but it also magnified every workout I missed (even though Coach Tony was totally OK with a missed workout here or there). I was hoping that my Zipp 606s would make me that much faster on the bike. I've done a couple of time trials on them, but this was my first tri with them. I know as well as anybody, though, that sometimes it's just not your day - weather, wind, flats on the bike, horrible cramping... anything can happen out there. I think my biggest worry was that I'd put in so much time and energy this summer and still wouldn't see a PR.

Steve and I flew into Cleveland Friday and met up with our team for supper at a fun brewery. I'm always amazed that we are just able to pick up right where we left off. They are truly some of the best people I know. After driving the hour to Sandusky and the Cedar Point Amusement park, Rob, Michelle, and JP hit up the rides while Steve and I unpacked our car and reassembled my bike (I had to take it apart for the first time for air transport). Then we splurged on some ice cream, caught up with our roller coastered out teammates, and headed for bed.

Saturday was a flurry of checking our bikes in, registering, team activities, a quick, very choppy OWS, and a team meeting. At the meeting, I asked everybody to write their expected splits down so Steve would know when to be looking for people. I wrote down swim: 43, bike: 3:05, run: 2:05. I didn't know how realistic these times would be. I knew that the weather was expected to be cool, but they were also predicting a 10-20 mph wind that would be in our face on the bike return. I knew if I was going to break 6, these were the numbers I needed to see. That night, the team grabbed supper at a yummy Italian restaurant before grabbing a few last minute groceries and getting ready for bed.

Our alarm went off at 5 am on Sunday. Since we were in the park and just needed to take a shuttle to the transition area, we figured this would give us plenty of time to be on the bus by 6 and out of transition by the 7:20 cutoff. The full Rev 3 racers started at 7, but our swims wouldn't be starting until 8:30. I had layed everything out the night before and knew I had everything I'd need except my race belt. Luckily, the All 3 Sports tent had opened up early, and I was able to purchase one there. I slathered on the sunscreen even though the sky was full of clouds and we were all contemplating how many clothes we'd need on the bike.

We snapped a couple of photos before wishing Robby and Sweet luck. They were in the first wave, followed by JP, followed by Sara, Michelle, and me. Charlie and Lisa were in the waves behind us.

The Swim:

The swim is set up like an upside down U (the start and transition are not the same place). I was SO thankful that the wind had shifted. Our practice swim the day before had been a little rough - lots of chop, a strong current, and HUGE waves. This swim, albeit still in lake Erie, was a little smoother. I tried to draft when I could, maintained a relatively straight line, and swallowed a ton of water on the way back. I'm not sure if it was the waves or if I was just trying to go to fast and wasn't rolling far enough. I got kicked hard in the hand once but overall had an uneventful swim. I saw teammate Tracy, sidelined by some cracked ribs, at the swim exit and flashed her a smile. I ran up to transition and crossed the mat. I'm not sure what happened to the timing. I had myself with a 41:23 swim. The official race results list me as a 42:13. I had been secretly hoping for a sub 40, but doing it in a huge lake with some chop probably isn't where I'll see that.

T1:

When we started the race, air temps had been in the low-mid 60s. I had been mulling over what to wear on the bike all morning. By the time I got out of the water, it was 9:20, and even though it was still cloudy, I knew it would be warming up. I decided to just wear a band over my ears, gloves, and my regular attire of bike shorts over my tri shorts. I was out in 3:02.

The Bike:

I knew the bike would make or break my race. The wind was nasty at 14-21 mph, and it would be in my face on the way back. Since I was aiming for just over 3 hours, I decided to break the bike up into pieces and just aim for a goal of over 18 mph for each hour. This seemed to work really well. The course was beautiful - lots of orchards, farms, and little stands selling fruits and veggies. Some people had described the bike as flat. I definitely wouldn't label it as flat. There were a couple of medium sized hills but mostly usable rollers. It was a pretty fast course, though. There were a couple of roads that were really rough, especially on the causeway on the way out and back and one area that was chip sealed. I got passed a lot at the beginning, but I caught a lot of them back at the end. I kept waiting to turn into an impossible headwind. I was feeling so good that I knew there must be a horrible part coming up. You know what, though? It never came. The headwind on the last few miles on the way back was strong. I kept aero, stayed strong, and just kept pushing with a high cadence. Hour 1: 18.65 miles Hour 2: 18.37 miles Hour 3: 18.95 miles/1:02:43 hours (18.06 average). Data from my Joule:

Distance: 55.98
Average power: 133
Average cadence: 93
Average speed: 18.31
Average HR: 150
Normalized Power: 139

Total bike time per the race results: 3:02:53 - an 18.37 mph average, the fastest bike split I've posted in a tri of any distance.

T2:

I got into T2 feeling like a rock star. I was on track for a PR and had just killed the bike despite a nasty wind. How appropriate, then, that as soon as I crossed the mat, a guy put a camera in my face like I was some sort of pro. He filmed me the entire time I was in T1. I racked my bike; ripped off my helmet, sunglasses, bike shorts, earband, gloves, and shoes; changed out my nutrition; snapped on my race belt, donned my socks and running shoes, grabbed my hat and was out in 1:32. All of the pictures that Steve got of me crossing the mat to the run show me trying to get my hat on.

The Run:

Steve was cheering for me coming out of T2, and I could tell he was excited to be telling me that I could run a 2:10 half marathon and still break 6 hours. I was getting pretty excited myself and was ready to tear it up out there. I had had to pee since about mile 35 of the bike but knew I could wait until I found a port a potty on the run. By now, the sun had come out, and it was heating up. The run course was really pretty - out along the lake, weaving through town, and then back along the lake into the amusement park. One of my favorite parts about the run was that I got to see my teammates JP and Sweet rocking the course with only a mile or 2 left of their runs. I high-fived Rob out there and cheered in the other athletes who were heading in, including Tri Eric, who I'd just met that morning. I also got to see pros (doing the full) on their runs everywhere. It was so cool to be out there with them and to be cheering for local pro DKT as he attempted his first full iron distance race (he finished 3rd and took the series). On the way back in, I was cheering for all of the age groupers starting their runs for the full. I was feeling on top of the world and having a great run. With just a few miles left, I wondered if I should be pushing it more. I was still waiting to blow up out there since the run of my half in June and my half marathon in July both didn't go as planned. I was quickly realizing that my sub-6 goal was going to happen and wondered if I pushed it in just a little more if I could see 5:55. I never blew up. I just kept feeling better and better, and with 1.1 miles left, I started to hammer. Splits:

Mile 1: 9:16
Mile 2: 9:02
Mile 3: 10:17 - finally found a porta potty
Mile 4: 9:48
Mile 5: 9:30
Mile 6: 9:20
Mile 7: 10:26 - walked while eating, drinking, and getting some NUUN down - one hour to go!
Mile 8: 9:38
Mile 9: 9:32
Miles 10 + 11: 18:56
Mile 12: 9:35
Mile 13: 9:13
Last 0.1: 1:07

As I entered the finisher's chute, I felt AMAZING. I got a little choked up that I'd finally broken 6. When they called my name, a huge smile crossed my face. I threw my hands up and crossed the finish line.

Total Time: 5:55:56 according to the official race times, 5:54:30 according to my watch - not sure why they're so different. I suspect it's the difference in swim times. Placing: 14/39 in my AG, 50/267 women, 298/600+ overall.

I looked over to see Steve in his crazy shorts taking pictures and cheering his head off, just like he'd done all weekend. It was such a special gift to have him there. I saw teammates Michelle, Robby, and Sara right away, and we all chatted about our races. JP was off to catch his plane, but he'd come in 2nd overall. Sweet finished 6th overall, Sara had a specular PR, Michelle beat Rob in their throwdown by less than a minute, and Charlie and his beautiful wife Lisa crossed the finish line with smiles on their faces.

We showered, grabbed some supper, and finally used the two free passes to the park to ride the Raptor, Top Thrill Dragster, and the Magnum (twice). I was so excited to be on the coasters that I'd been in awe of over the past 2 days that I was literally running through the park. When E Speed suggested that maybe I'd sandbagged the race a little, I started to agree. Today, 2 days later, I'm still sore. Not sure if it was the overzealous roller coaster chasing, the travel time yesterday, or the race finally settling into my muscles, but I'm not walking normally yet :) We watched the end of the full for a while before heading back to our hotel so we could be up early Monday for travel.

Final Thoughts:

I know a lot of people are looking at this as a future race. Here are a few additional comments that I have.

* We stayed in Hotel Breakers. It wasn't too expensive (~150/day for a double room). It is a big hotel, has 3 pools, plenty of restaurants, and a shuttle to and from transition. It does not have a continental breakfast, and it would be best to bring your own. We had a fridge but no microwave. Food for Steve and me got pretty expensive over the weekend.

* Unfortunately, even though transition was only 1/4 mile away via the beach, biking and riding along the road between the hotel and the parking lot where transition (~2 miles of driving) was was not allowed, and they strictly policed this. You had to either drive or take the shuttle.

* We flew Southwest. It cost $50 each way for bike transport, much less than other airlines. We then rented a car. You'd need one to get from Cleveland to Cedar point (around an hour drive) and to get back and forth from transition to your hotel. Many of our friends drove, but the 12 hour travel time would have made it impossible for us to get back in time for Steve to teach class on Monday.

* Our race entry came with 2 free passes to Cedar Point Amusement Park. Extra passes were $29 through our hotel and I believe $39 through the race. The passes were good for Sat or Sun. We waited until Sunday night, and within an hour's time, got to ride 4 rides that normally would have had a 1-3 hour wait each. Some of my teammates took advantage of the deal they offered for racers and volunteers for Friday night. For $15/ticket, the park opened many of their big rides for 3 hours. My buddy Robby sprinted around the park like a little kid and rode coasters until his heart was content with literally no lines. Had I planed better, Steve and I could have arrived earlier to take advantage of that offer. By the time we got to the park, unpacked, and reassembled my bike, we ran out of time.

* As a half, this race was AWESOME, especially on the run. Since it was about 4 miles out and 4 miles back with around 5 miles' worth of loops in the middle, there was a lot of opportunity to cheer on and see other runners who were on the run for the half and on the run for the full. This is one of my favorite parts of an out and back. I could see how this race could get pretty lonely on the run for the people doing the full, though, especially on the second lap of the run.

* The volunteers for this race were top notch, especially for this having been a new event. There really wasn't a lot in the way of spectators. I suspect that this will change as the race matures, more locals know about it, and transportation for families improves.

* The numbers I heard were that the full had around 400 people and the half had around 800. With only 400 people in the full, the finish line was pretty sparse both with the numbers of racers coming in and spectators waiting there.

* I would highly recommend not leaving until Monday if you are able. Our hotel closed at noon Monday (off season, only open on the weekends), so we wouldn't have been able to stick around much after that. It was really nice to be able to enjoy the park, see the finish line, and not be rushed, especially since our race didn't even start until 8:30.

* The Rev 3 corp is doing a top notch job at competing with the WTC. They really are trying to make it about the athletes and their families again, which is so good to see. They took our pictures to show up on the huge screen at the finish, we had name tags at our spots in transition, and racers could cross the finish line with their families - just a few of the touches they put on the day.

*That being said, this is still a growing race. It didn't have quite the spectacle or crowd support as IM Moo, the only other 140.6 I have experienced to compare it to. As a half, it's one of the best ones I've ever done.

* The only complaints I have about the race were a few roads on the bike (mentioned above), porta potties for spectators were needed at transition and the finish area, and the finish area was a little hard to get into for spectators. Had it been easier and had there been bleachers for people to sit on, I suspect the crowd would have been bigger as the 17 hour cutoff approached for the athletes doing the full. Otherwise this truly was a great race.

* This was the first time I've raced with a 30 on the back of my leg (my races earlier this year were not USAT sanctioned). My birthday is in 3 weeks. If this is what my racing will be like in my 30s, bring them on!

My Second TT Experience

I posted a report on my mostly disastrous bike time trial here. I was more prepared for this one. I arrived in Baker Park just up the road from the TT start with plenty of time to spare. I did an easy 20 minute warmup and got in line for the start in time to see my brother Matt take off a few minutes in front of me.

I actually looked the part this time - people at this time trial show up with some serious bike porn. Although I won't have my new Specialized bike for a while, I have been sporting my sweet Zipp 606s and Power Tap. I was hoping that the combination of new wheels, a little experience, recent training, and less wind would enable me to finally see that 20 mph average I've been shooting for. They held us at the start so we could be clipped in from the get-go. My only mistake for the race was being in too high of a gear when they counted down for me.

Getting clipped in during the countdown

It took me a second to get rolling, and for a moment, I was worried that I'd tip right over. I didn't, though, and I was off!

I took the first hill cautiously and spun up it

I worked on keeping my cadence high and not blowing up right away. I spent the remaining 11 miles pushing as hard as I could. I'm not sure if I am capable of redlining in an event (my muscle fibers just aren't made for it), but I was certainly close. The slight headwind on the way back wasn't as strong as I thought it could be, and I think I actually negative split it. Coming up that last big hill, I knew I would be close on time. To average 20 mph for an 11 mile course I was looking for 33 minutes. I hit the finish line in 32:35. I did it! I finally broke 20 mph! My official average was 20.36 (the course is just over 11 miles).

Pushing it to the finish

Crossing the finish line

Afterward, Steve, Matt, and I celebrated our efforts by taking a quick dip in Lake Independence. The water has been so warm around here this summer. It felt great!

Cooling off a little after Matt and I had great rides

Red, White, and Boom! Half Marathon Race Report

I decided to do this race just a week before the July 4 race day. Steve and I had been keeping our options open for the day, and since I had to work on the 3rd, we knew we wouldn't be leaving town. When Steve's parents decided to come up for the afternoon, I figured I could squeeze in a morning race. Borsch, my new brother-in-law, was signed up so I did too. I tried to convince my brother Matt to join us, but he didn't want to "ruin" his weekend by abstaining from alcohol and fun, so he passed on this one :)

I came into the race expecting to PR. My old PR for a half marathon is 1:56. I ran a 2:02 earlier this year on a gravel path half marathon, and I ran a 2:05 at the end of my last half iron distance race. Matt and I have been putting in some really solid long-distance tempo runs (8-9 miles) at an 8:20-8:40 pace. I have done plenty of long runs (12+ miles) this year. I figured that running 8:45s in a race (1:54:42 over 13.1 miles) would be realistic. My official goal was a 1:55.

Borsch and I walking to the race start

This was the inaugural race. The race was put on by the company that does the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon and the TC 10 mile. I first learned about it at the marathon expo last fall. I remember thinking that it would be fun but that the 4th of July would mean it would be hot, too. Fast forward 9 months where I had been watching the weather all week. The forecast was predicting a hot race morning with a 30% chance of rain. I was hoping it would hold off until we were finished, and I was hoping that the 6:30 AM start would help keep away the heat.

Borsch and I just before the start

Steve, my funny husband and awesome sherpa!

Steve came along to sherpa, and since Borsch and I already had our race packets, we got to the start line with just over a half hour to spare. We immediately got in line for the porta potties, and that's where we stayed until the gun went off.

The never-ending potty line

They really could have used more porta potties. I've never had to wait in line so long at a race! Thankfully, there were 3000 other runners who needed to get across the start line, and by the time I got out of my potty, Borsch and I just had to jog to the herd and had a few seconds to spare before starting the race. Unfortunately, that meant that I missed my pace group. I wasn't too worried. I knew I would catch up to them eventually.

Running to the start of the race.

Right off the bat, I had a lot of people to dodge. I was trying to take it a little easy and not waste a ton of energy getting around people. Mile 1: 9:20 - a little slow, hoping to pick it up.

I had been praying all week that the rain would hold off until after the race, but 30 seconds into it, I started praying for rain, even a downpour. It was 78 degrees with 80 percent humidity when the gun went off at 6:30. At mile 2, it started to rain, and I was so grateful. I hit the 2nd mile marker in 9:03 - better, but I was still hoping to pick it up.

I saw Steve at about mile 2.5.

Feeling good at mile 2.5

He wished me luck, and just after I left him, disaster struck. I got a paralyzing side cramp - one of those nasty ones where nothing you do alleviates it. I tried flexing my abs. I tried relaxing my abs...no luck. The only thing I could do was stop and try to work it out. I knew my hopes of a PR were over. It took me several miles to get rid of it. After the cramp finally let up, I spent the rest of the race cautiously trying to push it while keeping the cramp away.
Mile 3: 9:49
Mile 4: 10:36
Mile 5: 10:01
Mile 6: 10:52 - huge hill in this section
Mile 7: 9:29 - another big hill, but I was finally starting to feel better.
Mile 8: 9:48
Mile 9: 9:02
Mile 10: 9:19

Really soggy at mile 11. I smiled for the photo op, but I wasn't too happy about my time...

At least I wasn't alone! We all looked soggy. The rain felt GREAT in the heat.

Mile 11: 9:59
Mile 12: 9:00
Mile 13: 8:57 - trying to push it in
Mile 0.1: 0:49

Total time: 2:06:06

My legs felt fine and never really got sore, but my abs totally revolted. It rained and even downpoured for the last 11 miles of the race. Every time it started to let up a little, I was afraid it would stop. It was hot even with the rain. We all agreed afterward that we would have died out there without the relief from the sky.

I knew I should have worn my tri shorts! I did get a little nasty chafing from the shorts. Where did that mammoth quad come from?

Crossing the finish line

I hit the finish line feeling a little defeated, a little disappointed, and REALLY toasty. I saw a couple of finishers with popsicles, and I was immediately on a mission to find one. Kemps had a station and was giving out bomb pops, and I nearly kissed the volunteer who handed me one. Yummy!

Steve and I cheered on the runners coming into the finish line and waited for Borsch to come by. He came in a little overheated, a little slower than he had hoped, and smiling.

Walking back to the car - Borsch was trying to stretch out a cramp!

The three of us hopped back in the car so Steve and I could get showered before his parents treated us to a SUPER tasty all-you-can eat brunch buffet at Dixies on Grand.

Final Thoughts:

* Even though I was a little disappointed with my time, I do realize that achieving a PR in that heat was probably unrealistic. Most people I talked to were 5-10 minutes slower than their goal time. Still, it's a little sad that my time was a minute slower than my time at Liberty, where my 13.1 miles was at the end of a half iron distance race.

* Average finishing time was 2:12:10 - I was better than average!

*Other stats: 1041/2376 overall 424/1324 females

* The race was fairly well run, especially since this was the inaugural event. The course was really pretty - an area of Minneapolis that I've never really seen before. It was mostly flat except for the two huge hills at miles 6 and 7. My only complaint was the lack of sufficient potties at the start. Would I do it again? I think I would. I'd just leave the PR hopes at home given the almost guaranteed heat in MN this time of year.

Liberty Half Iron Distance Triathlon Race Report

In case you haven't guessed from my recent posts, this race was an "A" race for me. Most of my training this spring has been in anticipation of this race. I did this race for the first time last year and had a lot of fun. It's a beautiful course with a relatively clear swim. The bike course is hilly and beautiful, and the run is an out and back on a paved trail.

Friday, Steve and I drove to Lake Nokomis so try out my new wetsuit. I got my new 2xu wetsuit in the mail a little over a week ago, and I was hoping to wear it for the race, but I wanted to make sure that there wouldn't be any issues. Steve and I have done 2 open water swims this spring, and Square Lake has been nice and warm. However, it has been cold here the last week or two, and we've gotten A LOT of rain. This has cooled down the lakes considerably. I did not have a warm swim, and I was in and out in 10 minutes. The new wetsuit is AWESOME!!! The rubber is so much softer than my old one, and I feel more buoyant. I'm not sure if I really am any faster in it, but it's fun to think I am :)

Not long after Steve and I got back home, we heard a knock on our door. One of our new neighbors, a college kid, was coming over to warn us that they were going to have a party. I not so subtly told him that we appreciated the warning and that we would be getting up at 4 AM for a race. We were up the next morning before they went to bed. Thankfully, the noise wasn't anything that a fan and an air conditioner in our bedroom couldn't drown out.

Our alarm clock went off at a time that seemed way too early. We had laid all of our stuff out the night before, so all we had to do was get the car packed, get dressed, eat breakfast, and hop on the freeway. Transition opened at 5:30, and we were there shortly after. We saw tons of friends as we were getting ready. I said hi to all of them, but I was a little nervous and wasn't feeling super conversational.

Transition area - I'm on the right getting my stuff ready

Steve and me before the race

I was really hoping to PR at this race. My previous PR was at Chisago last summer, where I smashed my finishing times from all 6 of my other 70.3s and finished in 6:06:59. Even though that course was short, it started to make me wonder if I would be able to see a 5 at the beginning of my finishing time in the near future.

Walking down to the swim in my new 2xu wetsuit

Smiling and ready to go!

Ready, get set, go!

The Swim: I said goodbye to Steve, kissed him good luck and hopped in the water. All of the rain we'd been having combined with a spell of cool weather had cooled the lake down quite a bit. I tried to draft when I could, but I didn't have much success. It seemed that all of the women swimming in my time frame were choosing to zig-zag it! The morning had seemed pretty calm, but the water got really choppy once we got out there. I knew my swim time wouldn't be stellar. I haven't spent much time in the pool this spring. That fact combined with my usual slow swim times left me happy with the 45:05 (with about 30 seconds of that running up to transition) that I saw as I hit T1.

Out of the water and ready to hit the stairs

T1: My theme for the day was "7 seconds." I beat a girl in my age group by 7 seconds at Gear West. That 7 seconds could have come from any part of my race, but you can't always gain it in a sprint to the finish. Translation: Don't waste time. I was out in 2:24 - about a minute faster than my T1 time from last year.

Hitting my watch just out of T2

The Bike: "Seven seconds," I just kept repeating to myself. "Make the most out of every uphill. Push through the downhills when you can." My goal was to see an average in the high 17s, maybe even close to 18. In order to get anywhere near the 6 hour mark, I would need a good showing on the bike. The plan was to ride steady but comfortable on the first loop and kick it up a little on the second loop. It's definitely a hilly course, and I didn't want to blow up early. The weather forecast had been saying 70s with a 30-50% chance of rain. The thought of me being cold out there really hadn't crossed my mind. When will I learn from IM WI '06????? I was wet, and it was chilly. I don't think it got above 60. I couldn't feel my fingers very well, which made eating and drinking quite the challenge. I should have packed warm clothes just in case, but I was out there in just my bike shorts (with tri shorts underneath), sports bra, and tri top. I wasn't even wearing socks. Nearing the end of the first loop, Steve caught me (he was doing the Oly and had started significantly later than me). We wished each other luck, and I passed transition with a 17.5 mph average - time to kick it up a little. Mark Bongers, the race director, cheered for me as I passed transition. I waved, smiled, and prepared myself for round two. That's when my heart sank a little. I turned into a wind. Drat. It had picked up, a lot. I tried to stay positive. That's when the nagging feeling of having to pee started, and so began the saga that lasted the next 20 miles. It was all could think about, and I really thought that if I just concentrated and relaxed on the downhill, I could pee on the bike. Seven seconds. No time to waste. I was shooting for a 5 at the front of my finish time. I tried and I tried. I wasted so many good downhills and ended up having to power up the hills that much harder because I had lost momentum. Then I realized that it was starting to affect my nutrition. I wasn't eating or drinking as well as I should have been because I had to pee so bad. Around mile 42, I finally gave up and pulled off into some bushes. It took a full 2 minutes, which made my 7 seconds mantra seem minuscule. I felt SO much better and cursed myself for waiting so long. The wind, the having to pee, and the lack of downhill (and thus uphill) speed had dropped my average to 17.3 mph. I stared at that darn 17.3 average for the next 30 minutes. It wouldn't budge. I finally got it up to 17.4, then it started raining. No more flying down those hills. The goal for the last 6 miles became "don't wipe out." I pulled into T2 wet, freezing cold, and feeling defeated. All of that hill training had left me with 3:17:28 bike split (17.02 mph average - 0.2 mph slower than my computer's average because of the potty stop).

T2: I saw Steve cheering and told him that I wasn't having an ideal race. I was definitely feeling sorry for myself, but I still tried to hurry. I slipped off my extra bike shorts, got rid of my helmet and bike shoes, and grabbed a hat, my race belt, and my running shoes (thankfully the rain had not yet drenched my socks). My fingers were frozen, and it took a lot of work to get my shoes on. I was out in 2:12 - just a few seconds faster than the 2:18 I posted last year at this race.

Trying harder than I should be to put my socks on

Running out of T2

Just a few hundred feet into the run

Ready to tackle that first big hill

The Run: I told myself to suck it up and get running. One thing I do well in the cold and the rain is run. I told my brain that it was only allowed to cheer for people and pick people ahead of me to pass. There would be no more feeling sorry for myself. I told my legs that they were in charge of running, and the rest of me wouldn't think about it. This strategy worked really well, actually. I had seen the first place finisher coming down the wood chip hill just as I was starting, so I literally got to cheer on everybody out there (it was an out and back course). It made me feel good to be encouraging and joking around with so many of the racers as I was meeting them and passing them, and for the first time all day, I started to feel good. Around mile 10, my times were slowing up a little and I had to pee...again. In retrospect, I'm sure I was hypothermic. I really didn't drink much all day, but cold diuresis kicks in, and you can actually end up fluid down. I ducked into the bushes for the last time. Then I pushed through the pain for the last 5K to cross the finish line in a run time of 2:05:39 - a new 70.3 run PR by over 6 minutes.

Striding in to the finish

Done with my soggy run!

My hard-earned medal :)

Total Time: 6:12:49 - my second fastest 70. 3(not counting Steelhead 08 which was a du). My time was nearly 40 minutes faster than my Liberty race last year.

Final Stats:

Swim: 45:05
T1: 2:24
Bike: 3:17:28
T2: 2:12
Run: 2:05
Final time: 6:12:45 192/234 overall, 52/80 women, 11/16 AG

Final Thoughts:

* No finish time with a 5 for me this time around, but I am getting closer. I cut nearly 40 minutes off my time from last year. In retrospect, I picked a pretty aggressive course to try to see this happen. I'm hoping that with some more consistent work in the pool, a better (sweet!) new bike and wheels (which will hopefully be in my hands soon), and my new coach, attaining this goal won't be too far off.

* In retrospect, my goal on the bike was probably a bit too aggressive. My bike time at this race last year was 3:22. I was significantly faster this year, even with a duck into the bushes. I know I'll keep getting faster, and I would have loved to see my time had I not needed a potty stop so bad.

* Steve had already packed up our stuff and was ready to go.

All of our wet soggy stuff was loaded up!

The park's campground had WONDERFUL warm showers. We cleaned off, dressed up, and got in the car to drive to Steve's cousin's wedding. Unfortunately, that meant that we didn't get to catch up with our friends at the finish. Everyone did really well though!

* I know what I need to do for Rev3. Bring on the training!

My First Ever Bike TT

Holy whirlwind week! I'm still beat from this weekend's half iron distance race, so I figured I'd get back to posting by writing up a quick blurb about my first bike TT. I did it last Tuesday, and since I'm still formulating thoughts about the half, I thought I'd put this up first.

I had a super crazy day at work on Tuesday. The nurses in some local hospitals were preparing to strike, so many of the hospitals were diverting their patients to us in anticipation of the strike. I ran around all day and checked my email just before I left work. Steve wasn't feeling well, but he though the GI issue he was having might be over. We headed out to the western suburbs knowing that we might be facing a wet time trial. We found Matt in the parking lot, got registered, and spent way too much time lallygagging before heading out to warm up on our bikes.

I should back up and say that it's nearly a miracle that I agreed to sign up for this thing. Gear West's Tuesday Night Time Trial (TNT) is an 11 mile out and back hilly ride where cyclists and triathletes come out to push themselves and drool over each other's gear. I went out to watch Matt and Steve last year and vowed that this thing is not for me and that I myself would not be doing it in the near future. I am admittedly a very slow biker. The top guys out there typically pull somewhere between 27 and 28 mph over the 11 miles. I've never actually averaged over 20 mph on any ride. I was hoping to change that for this ride and resolved that I didn't care if I finished DFL, I was there to push myself. I struggled with the decision of whether or not I should wear my new Evotri jersey that I'd gotten in the mail a couple of days earlier. Quite frankly, I was afraid that I would shame the team by wearing the jersey and knowing that I would very likely finish at the very bottom of the field. I decided to wear it.

Steve and I headed out to warm up. We know the area well since the Gear West Du is out there, and the TNT is part of Liberty's half-iron course. Steve explained some of the hills, some landmarks to be aware of, and a plan of attack. He also mentioned that they usually get started a little late (they start around 7 pm and let a new rider go every 30 seconds). I took that as meaning we had plenty of time and asked Steve to go just a little further before turning around on our 5 mile warm-up. That turned out to be a huge mistake. On our way back, we started seeing numbers that were getting very close to ours and realized that we weren't going to make our designated start times. Steve raced to the start line and got going right away (they calculate your overall time based on what your start time was supposed to be). I took a few seconds to rip off my long-sleeves, reset my computer, and GO!

I paid attention to what Steve had told me and tried not to blow up on the first hill. I took it fast but not out of control. I've never really tried to push myself this hard on the bike before and didn't know what to expect. I quickly realize that one granola bar before the race would have been fine. Two was too much, and my stomach revolted. A couple of miles in, I was shifting to get up a hill and dropped my chain. I don't know why. It wasn't stretched. I think I was just putting a little too much pressure on the pedals when I shifted. My bike is a little finicky like that. So, to summarize, after just a few miles, I had made the following mistakes: eating too much before the race, missing my start, and dropping my chain. Great. You'd think I'd never been on a bike before. I got passed by so many people but just kept riding as fast as I could. I saw Steve just before the halfway point. I shouted, "I love you!" which was my way of apologizing for making us late for the start. I felt terrible through the whole race knowing I had made such a silly mistake. At the turn around, I had just over a 20 mph average, but we turned into a wind on the way back. I kept pushing, but my average dropped to 19.6 by the time I hit the finish line.

Biking down the final hill to the finish line. I've got my hand ready to stop my watch.

Hitting the finishers' chute.

I was breathing hard when I finished. After I caught my breath, Matt and I stopped for a photo.

The aftermath on my leg. I'm not even sure how I got this - maybe when i dropped my chain?

Steve, Matt, and I traded war stories about our rides and went back out for another 10 miles or so to spin out our legs. I was pooped at that point and was hoping that my bad day on the course wasn't a sign of what was to come at Liberty. We discussed going to DQ vs Taco Bell, but Steve and I made a Subway stop on the way home instead.

We snapped this photo before hopping in our cars and heading home.

Final Thoughts:

* I didn't finish last! Somebody finished after me, even though my time was off. Using my actual time and not the late start time, I would have finished ahead of two whole people out there :)

* I still can't believe I made so many mistakes out there. Guess it just sets me up for a much better race next time.

* I know it sounds cliche, but I really am proud of myself for showing up to race in the first place. There are some pretty intimidating people out there.

* I cannot wait to get my new bike and wheels. I'm crossing my fingers that I'll get a chance to try them out on this course this summer. It will be interesting to see what a change in equipment does for my time. I'll still be at the bottom, but I know they will make some difference.

* No 20 mph for me this time. I'll keep it on the list of goals.

Stay tuned to see how my race at Liberty went...

Gear West Duathlon Race Report

So I finally got a few minutes to sit down and write up my experiences at the Gear West Duathlon a couple of weeks ago. The race was actually on May 23, but then it was full speed ahead for my sister's wedding on the 29th.

I went in to the weekend really excited to finally be able to do the race myself but also realizing that this was not an "A" race. It was a "train straight through to the race" kind of week so that I would be better prepared for this coming weekend's Liberty half iron distance tri. Knowing this, I ran an easy 10 miler with my friend Maddy the day before the du. I was hoping that it wouldn't ruin my race, but I knew it would help my endurance for my half.

I have watched Steve and my brother Matt tag-team this race for the last couple of years, and the timing finally worked out so that I could do it too. From Steve's and Matt's past descriptions, I knew what I was up against - a hilly cross-country 5 K run followed by a hilly 28 K bike and another cross-country 4 K run. The course is known for being pretty brutal, and the competition there is fierce. It's not necessarily a race for beginners. Nevertheless, my good friend Jess had picked this race as her first. I had warned her in advance what to expect, and she showed up trained and ready to go.

Steve, Matt, and I arrived soon after transition opened up. We wanted to get some good spots, and we wanted to be have time to chat with all of the people we knew who would be racing. Jess showed up around the same time, and she and I set our stuff up next to each other. We went over how to lay your stuff out and how to pick a good spot in transition. Then we picked out landmarks that would help us find our stuff on the first run in and on the bike in (coming from 2 separate corners of transition).

We were in wave 4, so we got to watch the elite men, the elite women, the teams, and a few others start before us. Before we knew it, we were off!

The 1st Run:

I tried to settle into a good, hard pace. The first 1K was on asphalt, but the rest of the winding, hilly course was a mixture of grass, dirt, gravel, a little more asphalt, and wood chips. I remember thinking 2/3 into the first run that it really wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. I guess part of me was picturing the terrain from my 50K last fall - rocks, ruts, roots, and gravel. This run was much more normal. Don't get me wrong - it was still tough, and that bear of a hill at the end seems to go up forever! There were no mile markers on this course, so I was just going on feel. I came into T1 with a 26:49 5K (an 8:56 average) - right around where I should have been for that run.

T1:

In T1, I took off my socks, slid into my bike shoes, and I was out in 1:11. I know that messing around with my socks is not an efficient use of my time, but during a tri, I won't have to be taking them off and putting them on. I prefer to bike without them, and my feet turn to hamburger if I run without them, so off and on it is. I used the talc in my bike shoes this time around, and it worked SO much better.

The Bike:

I am not a strong biker. I never have been, but I knew that a 17 or so mile bike was going to be my shortest race distance for the rest of the year. I really wanted to break 18 MPH in race at Cannon a few weeks ago, but that nasty wind threw my plans out the window. So... goal of 18 for this bike it was. The bike course is hilly, but they are usable hills, and I've gotten a lot better at downhills in the last few years. I got passed by quite a few guys from the wave behind me, but there were only a couple of women who passed me on the bike. Overall, I probably did just as much passing as getting passed. I realized a few miles into the ride that my computer hadn't cleared properly when I reset it that morning, so my average and distance were both off. I reset it and just kept pushing. My run is in decent shape right now, and I was trying not to hold out out on the bike. I drank some NUUN/Carbo pro mixture and took in the scenery. The course is just beautiful out there, and Liberty shares parts of it, so I was taking notes. It wasn't long before we were heading back into town. I finished the hilly bike in a time of 54:49 (18.6 mph average). I met my goal!

T2:

I donned a new pair of socks, slipped on my running shoes, and booked it out of transition in 1:15. I felt great. Twenty feet or so after exiting transition, I heard, "Go Sarah!!" Steve had nearly missed me :) I guess it's a sign of a good race if your support group isn't really even looking for you to come in yet.

The 2nd Run:

There was a woman in a coral colored top that had passed me near the end of the bike. She was 50-100 feet in front of me coming out of T2, and I was gunning for her. I know I've mentioned this before, but my tempo runs with my brother have really taught me to run through a lot of pain. I was pushing hard. The second run is shorter than the first, but the part that they cut off is the flat asphalt part, so proportionally, it's harder. Slowly, I continued to gain on the woman in the coral top. I didn't know whether she was in my age group, but I knew I wanted to catch her. I was breathing really hard but feeling strong. All those feelings I'd had after the first run about it not being as bad as I'd expected disappeared. I was pushing, and it felt so much harder. The no mile markers threw me off a little, and every time I thought we were nearing the end, they'd send us back into the woods for more. I finally caught the woman in coral about a mile into the race. "You've been my rabbit through this whole run!" I told her. Then I whispered to her that we could both catch the woman in front of us, which we soon did. I had now passed both women and was determined not to let them catch me again. I fought my way up that final hill and kicked as hard as I could without looking back.

I held them both off for a time of 24:22 (9:12 avg for 4K). My final finishing time was 1:48:24. They took my chip. I looked behind me to see the woman in coral finishing. I thanked her for the push. We hugged and finally introduced ourselves. Her name is Julie.

I passed out on the ground catching my breath while talking to Steve and Matt like this for the next 5 minutes. I was spent!

After catching my breath, I chatted with Jumper and several other locals before walking to the top of the hill and waiting for Jess. It was only a minute later that I saw her emerging from the bushes, and I got a little emotional. She was about to finish her first multisport race! Jess powered up the hill and ran it in to the finish.

We hung out at the finish line enjoying some tasty food before packing up our stuff, watching the results and the drawing, and driving home for a well-deserved nap!

Final Stats:

Run 1: 26:49 248/380 overall, 61/134 women, 9/18 AG
T1: 1:11
Bike: 54:49 233/380 overall, 60/134 women, 7/18 AG
T2: 1:15
Run 2: 24:22 190/380 overall, 47/134 women, 8/18 AG
Final time: 1:48:29 218/380 overall, 51/134 women, 7/18 AG

Final Thoughts:

* I think all of the hill work I've been doing on the bike this spring is paying off. I felt good out there, and this was the first time I've ever done anything over 18 mph in a race.

* The woman in the coral top was in the age group above me. I was a little bummed to find this out at first. In overall time, she beat me by nearly 6 minutes. However, this means that she is significantly faster than me, and I still outkicked her on the second run. This realization made me happy :) I wasn't very excited about my time on the second run at first. Then I started looking at the numbers and realized that I did really well compared to much of the other field.

* The girl in the black top that I passed on the second run was in my AG. I beat her by 7 seconds. I'm realizing more and more that transition times really do matter. I couldn't have run any faster.

* I ran 10 miles the day before this race and didn't notice it at all in my legs. I'm hoping this is an indication of my overall fitness for my upcoming race.

* I ran this race in my trail shoes. I felt a little self-conscious at first. It seemed that everybody else was wearing racing flats or regular running shoes, but I was SO glad to have them for this race. The terrain was nasty at times. After the finish, a woman commented that she wished she would have had a pair out there!

* I am SO excited for Liberty in 5 days - first half of the year, 8th ever. Wish me luck!

A Couple of Long Bricks

I just got back from a 5 day marathon of wedding festivities for my sister and Borsch. It was so much work but so much fun. I am super behind on posts. Hopefully my Gear West Du race report will be up in the next day or 2. It went really well.

Last week's long brick by the numbers:

Temperature: nearly 90 degrees
Humidity: 30%
Number of miles ridden: 72
Number of miles run afterward: 4.5
Number of water bottles consumed on the bike: 7
Number of water stops on the run: 1
Number of NUUN tablets: 4
Amount of Chocolate milk consumed before hitting my door: 2 cups
Number of pounds lost despite all of those liquids: 1.5
Number of times I almost got killed on the bike: one - I was headed down hill and had a green light. The guy in the opposite direction decided to make a left turn. I screamed, slammed on my breaks, and popped out of my pedals, and managed to miss being hit by just a couple of feet.
Average on the bike: 15.2 mph- I need to get this up if I'm going to succeed at Liberty. I know the 6 detours (3 out, 3 back) on my bike trail didn't help the average, but I need to see better...
Average min/mile on the run: 9:10. I'm hoping for at least sub 10s for Liberty.
Length of nap that ensued afterward: 1 hour
Number of sunscreen applications: 3 - had to keep the tan lines in check for Steph's wedding!

Today's Brick:

I met Steve's swimming buddies at Square Lake for our second OWS of the year. The water is warming up quickly - it was 74 degrees today, WAY ahead of where it was last year. Steve drove us out there, and we brought my bike along so that I could get in some hills. After my 56 minute swim, I changed my clothes, slathered on a lot of sunscreen, and waved goodbye to the gang. The plan was to ride out in the the Stillwater area before taking the Gateway 25 miles to get home. At mile 5, I hit a small bump in the trail, and I heard a huge noise. I stopped and saw that my rear water bottle cage had fallen off. Closer inspection revealed the the screws holding it together had snapped off. I had 65 miles left to go and knew I couldn't just leave the bottle cage, the water bottle, and my emergency pack out on the trail. After some creative shuffling, I managed to jury-rig my pack and cages onto my aero bars and shuffle all of my food, keys, phone, etc onto one side of my top to make room for the extra water bottle on the other side. It was a little annoying, but it did the trick.

My legs felt a little heavy from the 5 hour dance marathon on Saturday at Steph and Jon's wedding, but I was happy to be out there with such beautiful weather. The Liberty course is pretty hilly, and I was trying to find lots of them today. At mile 35, I was on my way down a HUGE hill when I hit a small crack in the road and heard a loud noise. I knew it was my tire. Turns out it was my back tire. Boo. I blew a hole right in the side of the tube. It must have been a combination of the speed and the bump because there was no visible damage to the tire, just the tube seam... It wasn't until I got the new tube in that I realized that my old bike pump is no longer functional. I had to wait around for 5-10 minutes until someone with a pump rode by. The lady seemed a little annoyed that I didn't have a pump (I tried to explain that mine just wasn't working), but her husband was super helpful and had it inflated in no time. Thankfully, the next 20 miles were pretty uneventful. At first, I was bummed about all of my mechanical snafus, but then I realized that it could have been so much worse. I can fix the cage before Liberty. I'm so thankful that it didn't wait till the race to snap off. Also, when I flatted, I did it in a well-traveled bike area. I very easily could have done it 25 minutes earlier when I was on a low bike traffic road. I may not have finished my ride if that had happened. It was a gorgeous day, and I even made a friend on the way home! I passed a guy with about 13 miles left, and when he kept up with me, we started talking. It turned out that he only lives a mile from Steve and me, and we pushed each other all the way home. I'd like to get in a few hard workouts yet this week, then it's taper time! Goals for liberty to come. They're a little lofty...

So Freaking Excited!!!

I have been sworn to secrecy for the last couple of days, but today it's official - I made the Evotri team! I am so excited and wanted to tell EVERYBODY, and now I can. I feel so honored to be picked from such a talented group of applicants. I know they had a tough decision to make.

Of course I am going out of my mind thinking of all of the amazing gear that this appointment will mean. I'm curious to see what having better equipment and a coach will do for my training and race times. I am looking forward to learning so much more about myself and the sport.

I may be equally excited, though, to have a bigger platform to share one of my passions - getting more people into the sport. One of my objectives as part of the team will be to cater to people thinking of taking up multisport and those who are very new to the community. I'd like to show people how to get more friends and family involved in addition to providing a resource for newcomers.

When I ran my first marathon in 2000, I knew one other person who had run one. When I participated in my first tri in 2004, I personally didn't know anybody who had ever done one. I have made so many mistakes over the years, and I hope that other people will be able to learn from them - just as I hope to continue learning through my new teammates.

Back in the Saddle

I had the most fantastic weekend. After a beautiful spring, the last two weeks have been super cold and rainy, and I lost so much motivation. This weekend was sunny and gorgeous. I finally got my gardens planted, and I had great workouts.

Saturday, I met up with a group of 7 other bikers to ride the Liberty Half Iron Distance course. Most of us will be doing the race in four weeks. The sun was shining, the lilacs are still blooming, and the hills were calling us. It reminded me so much of the IM WI course - the green farm country, the hills, and all of the other bikers we saw out there. It was one of those rides where you're just so thankful to be out there. My friend Jess rode the first loop with us. She will be doing her first duathlon next weekend, and I asked her to come along to get a feel for the course since it will be similar to our du course. She just bought her bike a couple of weeks ago, and even though our ride definitely was not beginner friendly in terms of hills, she did great and got a lot of practice shifting :) I am so excited to be able to cheer for her at the finish line of Gear West du!

After Jess left, we headed out for a second loop. I got to chat with Sarah, Amy, Nat, Matt, Adam, and a woman and a guy whose names are escaping me (sorry!). Sara, Amy, Nat, and Matt are all training for their first Ironman in Wisconsin this fall, and once you get me talking about Ironman and tris in general, I can't stop! I got to talk to Sara the most before we lost the shoulder on our road and had to ride single file. All of the talk about Ironman made me really excited to head out to WI in July for WIBA. Including the "extra credit" Jess and I got for missing a turn on the first loop, my ride totalled 59 miles. I thought about tacking on an extra mile for that even number but had to get back to gardening... I don't often get to ride with other people, and I had so much fun. I think the hilly tempo rides I have been doing are paying off. I felt really strong on the hills, and though I was plenty hungry by the time I was done, my legs still had gas in the tank. I'm hoping to get in at least two 70+ mile rides before Liberty.

Today I went on a long(ish) run with my friend Haley. She'll be doing her second half marathon next weekend. We talked strategy for her race, caught up on life, and enjoyed another lovely day in Minnesota. Nine miles flew by before we knew it. I'm so proud of her. She has come a long way since her first race in January, and I'm really excited to see her smash her previous time.

Next weekend will be my second duathlon of the year. Gear West Du is an intense course with a deep field. Then it will be full speed ahead for my sister's wedding. June and the tri season will be here before we know it!

Things That Kept Me Motivated This Winter - My New Tri Suit

Well, as I mentioned in my race report for last weekend's duathlon, I've been sporting a new tri suit lately. I wore it in last weekend's du to see how it would hold up so I didn't get any nasty surprises for longer races coming up. It was part of my Christmas present from Steve (and Outside PR) along with the Piston tights that I talked about a couple of weeks ago. I've been getting a lot of questions on what to wear for upcoming races from friends and blogger buddies, so this is a good chance to review some of my racing "outfits" over the last couple of years and talk about the pros and cons of each one.

Swimsuit Only:

I did my first tri in 2004. I was a broke college grad student married to another broke college grad student. I'd already dropped a boatload of money on a bike, a helmet, and some race fees, and I didn't have the dough to go out and buy fancy clothes too. I was 23 years old and didn't know any better, so I just raced the ENTIRE olympic distance race in nothing but a sports bra and a swimming suit: See exhibit A, just after a water stop:

Pros to this approach:

• It was cheap. No extra clothing required. If fit the budget of a college grad student
• It made transitions fast - no monkeying around
• The race was nearly 100 degrees when you factored in the heat index. I probably would have been a lot hotter had I been in more clothes
• I did the swim without a wetsuit and had no issues

Cons to this approach:

• Now in my 7th year of tris and nearing 30, I'm not sure I'd have the guts to run around Minneapolis in nothing but a swimming suit for 6 miles.
• No padding on the bike - this may be OK for shorter distances, but it can get uncomfortable quickly.
• Could get really chilly on a cooler day...

Conclusion: It wasn't pretty, but it did the trick. I'd never do it today, but if you have the bod of a pro triathlete, go for it!

Getting Creative With What's in Your Dresser:

In 2006, I did my first half iron distance race. Having only done two olys before that (in my swimming suit), I wondered what I should wear for a longer race. I didn't have any mentors to ask. I knew that there wouldn't be a changing tent in transition. I knew I couldn't swim or run in my bike shorts, but I would need plenty of padding under me to survive a 56 mile bike ride. I had just finished grad school, had just dropped $1000 for boards, and was training for Ironman. Blowing our food money wasn't a viable option. I knew that I would be doing a full change for every leg of Ironman, so I decided that this would be my trial run. I swam in a two piece athletic swim suit under my wetsuit. In T1, I slipped a sports bra on over my suit top and took the suit top off (just like changing on the sports bus in high school except in the middle of transition!). I put a pair of bike shorts on over my bikini bottoms, donned the rest of my gear, and headed out for the bike. In T2, I took off the bike shorts, put a pair of running shorts over the bikini bottoms, slipped the bikini bottoms off a la high school changing again, and headed out for my 13.1 mile run. Although the swim and the run were fine, the bike was MISERABLE. Never in my life have I been so uncomfortable on a 56 mile bike ride. The swimsuit under my bike shorts was a HORRIBLE idea, and had the corn or grass been taller, I may have stopped in the middle of the bike ride to leave them out in a field. The rubbing and the chafing in the 100 degree heat made me SO glad to be done with that bike ride.

I also chose a top that was way too big, and when it got wet on the run, it turned into a dress:

Pros to this approach:

• It was cheap. I already had bike and run gear. I did have better tops than that white one, which would have made the run more comfortable.
• In some senses, it was good practice for the full change I did at Ironman
• That race was ungodly hot. To me, nothing is more comfortable to run in than running shorts.

Cons to this approach:

• See above explanation. I was miserable. In retrospect, this was a terrible idea. Live and learn...

Conclusion: While I'm all for mixing and matching and using what you already have, I could have done this much better. Had I used a more fitted running top and tried a pair of tri shorts (see below), the whole thing would have worked much better. It makes for a good story though!

Mix and Match From Your Local Tri Store:

I mostly told you about the above experiences to let you know what you may see out there and so you can see how far I've come :) I am absolutely in favor of using what you already have if you can. It's cheaper, it's less wasteful, and often it'll work just fine. Before I did my 3rd olympic distance tri in 2008, I decided that I really needed to invest in a good pair of tri shorts. I looked at the meager selection at a local outdoor store and a local running store before making the trip out to Gear West - the local mecca of all things tri. I must have tried on 20 pairs of tri shorts before deciding on the Sugoi Blast. Many of the shorts were too short, too long, the chamois was weird, I didn't feel like they'd stay put, or (you fill in the blank). To my surprise, they weren't as expensive as I thought they'd be. They cost less than a pair of bike shorts (mine were around $45). I have really meaty legs, and these shorts didn't make them look like sausages crammed into casing. I chose basic black (they come in a few color combinations) so that I could pick a tri top in whatever brand/color I wanted. I tried on a whole bunch of tops from all different companies, and I finally settled on a Nike one. It had big pockets in the back, felt like it would stay down, and the built in bra seemed to add just enough support when paired with another sports bra. Side note: I know there are plenty of triathletes out there who can get away with wearing just the built-in bra, but I'm not one of them, especially for longer distances. I ended up finding a couple more tops like it on sale later. I had had so much success with the one I owned that I bought them.

Pros for this outfit:

• It wasn't as expensive as I thought it would be.
• Tri shorts are comfortable to wear in the swim, on the bike, and on the run.
• By mixing and matching at your local tri store (I recommend going in person as opposed to buying online to get a feel for what fits and what will be comfortable), you can find an entire outfit that fits well.
• I LOVE the pockets in the back of these tops. I can fit an entire 70.3's nutrition back there.
• This top stays put well - no belly hanging out.

Cons for this outfit:

• Although it's not that expensive, it is still extra money that I didn't have several years ago. I probably could have gotten away with the tri shorts and a running top.
• This top is a little low cut. That combined with the squishing going on with the extra sports bra leads to some interesting race photos on the bike - a little too much cleave for me...
• I did my first splash and dash last summer. It was the first time that I didn't have a wetsuit on over my top. To my horror, the low cut top acted as a GIANT parachute, and I could feel it slowing me down in the water.

Conclusion: Tri shorts are a must. The advice that I give to all athletes doing their first multisport event is to go to their local tri shop and try on a few pairs until they find something comfortable and flattering. A good top is nice too, but if you are strapped for cash, you could always swim in a sports bra and tri shorts and put on a shirt in T1. I know this may alienate me from the cool crowd, but I still can't bike for longer than 30 miles in tri shorts. This usually means that I put a pair of bike shorts on over my tri shorts in T1 and take them off again in T2. It doesn't feel too bulky, it's never gotten uncomfortable for me, and my bum and lady parts are SO much happier.

Sugoi Velocity Tri Top and Shorts/(Insert Fast-Looking Tri Suit Model Here):

I've already talked about racing in this suit last weekend. Here's a reminder of what it looks like from the back and the front:

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Pros for this outfit:

• The built-in bra is very supportive (I'm still wearing my regular sports bra underneath, but the combo is almost too much support).
• My other Sugoi shorts have little grippies around the bottom of the legs. I was worried that since these didn't, the shorts wouldn't stay put. I had no problems.
• No sausage leg syndrome!!!
• Although I haven't taken this suit in the water yet, I don't think there will be the same drag issues my old tri top has. You can zip the top up quite high.
• The fabric feels like it will be fast in the water and dry quickly - a big plus for races where the swim is too warm for wetsuits.
• There's a lot of technology put into the fabric that these things are made of.
• I feel the part when I'm out on the course.

Cons for this outfit:

• It's pricey! The top and shorts together will set you back around $220 if you pay full price for both.
• I'm not sure I'm a huge fan of the big white panels on the sides. For one, they are see-through. I have a freckle on my left hip, and you can see it through the shorts.
• I am a very average sized person, and I don't know how forgiving these shorts would be if you are much larger than a medium. They're certainly worth a try!
• The top does creep up a little, but I didn't feel like I was racing the whole time with my belly hanging out.
• The pockets in the back of the top are pretty small. I'm used to the huge ones in my Nike top. I'm going to have to get creative in stashing all of my food and gear at my 70.3 in 5 weeks.
• The fabric doesn't breathe as well as I would have expected. This could be an issue for hot races...

Conclusion: I feel fast when I'm in this suit. It's surprisingly comfortable, even though it's literally skin-tight. I think it will perform better in the water than anything I've used before, and so far, it has shown to perform well on the bike and the run too. They make a one-piece Velocity, but I'd much rather have the two piece. Although the one piece would solve any midriff issues, I'm not keen on having to take the whole thing off for every pre-race potty visit I make. Plus, I've had more than one race that required a duck in the bushes. It's one thing to have your shorts around your knees. It's quite another to be naked in the bushes.

I'll keep you posted on how this suit performs later this year for longer and hotter races. If you've got the money to spend on a higher-end tri suit, this is a fun place to do it.

Anybody out there have anything additional to add?