Ramblin' Rose Raleigh

Second Triathlon of the year finished on Sunday. I really enjoyed it and actually had my best race ever.

I actually cut 14 minutes off of my previous best time across the same distance and an easier course. The course from sunday was definitely tougher than the Chapel Hill course and hills and climbing on the bike had me wanting to curse... A LOT!!!

I am very pleased with my performance in the race and with overall effort mentally and physically. I still need to do more run training, but I set three personal bests in the swim, bike and run. Now for the official race report.

The early wakeup call is the part I hate most about doing triathlons I am a girl who really likes to sleep. Especially sleep in to about 9am. I was up at 5am and out the door by 5:30 to meet my friend and combine our gear into her van and head to the race site.

We got to the race site around 6:45 am and picked up her packet and both of us got body marked. We headed to transition and set our stuff up in our areas. After that I headed towards the pool to warm up. Unfortunately, I jumped in the pool with my post race shorts on over my race shorts. Whoopsy. Once I was finished with my warm up I took them back out to my transition spot and hung them over the end and I then jogged a little for some additional warmup. After that, I headed over to the post-race area to grab a little food to gnosh on as I had not eaten anything at that point.

Pre-race ceremonies and then into the pool area. I really enjoyed it. They were running a dual swim and we were allowed to run and jump into the pool. Some people were walking up and sliding into the pool while others, (me included) were full on kamikaze run and jump into the pool. I finished the swim in 5:30 for 225 yards. Additionally, the pool time includes my ladder exit and my run to the pool exit, about 30-35 yards.

Transition was a comedy of errors, but my times were still pretty quick. I was so quick getting my socks and cycling shoes on as I put my helmet and glasses on. Somehow my bike had been knocked askew before I came in and only brake grip was hanging, which meant I had to tweak my bars to get my bike off the rack. I finally unracked my bike and took off running and realized that my cleats didn't sound right, then I realized that I had failed to removed my cleat covers that I had put on saturday after my charity ride to walk back to the van through the vineyard. I knew I was going to lose at the mount line outside of transition and was not happy about it but there wasn't anything I could do about it at that point but gripe about my stupidity.

I also didn't have a pocket to put the covers in and didn't want to be penalized for abandoned equipment so I put them down the back of my tri shorts, hopped on my bike and away I went. Transition 1 time was 2:23

The bike leg was BRUTAL to say the least. I knew when I topped out at 32 mph on the first downhill that the way back in was going to be grueling. I was trying to make up some of the time I lost because of being a doofus with the cleat covers and I knew I would pay the price for that on the run and I already stink on the run anyway, but I had to be aggressive on the bike but not kill the legs. I was cornering on rails and taking some very aggressive paths around those corners. It was by far the most aggressive I have ever been on the bike in a race and some friends of mine that I ride with on mondays have commented since the race about how aggressive I was on the bike. I took the 9 mile bike leg in 37:24 and that is saying something considering the difficulty of the bike leg.

I consider myself quite fortunate to have not been penalized for a dismount line penalty. I literally stood my bike on it's front tire just shy of the dismount line. I popped my right foot out of my shoe, leaving both shoes on the bike and ran into transition in my socks. I grabbed my running shoes, slipped them on, popped my helmet off, grabbed my visor, put it on and grabbed my race number and put it on as I ran out of transition. I jogged the first minute out of transition and actually settled into my 1:1 jog/walk rhythm. Transition 2 time was 1:48

Run leg was 2 miles and it wasn't the toughest run course I've ever had, but it also wasn't White Lake. Combos of uphill and downhill. the only thing I would change of the course would be the lack of water heading out on the run. I think it was just about 3/4 mile in for the water. That is usually why I carry my own and I regret not doing so again. Well, I made the 1 mile turn around at 14:10 and was disappointed that I was in jeopardy of going over 30 minutes on the run again and I seriously didn't want to do that again. As I came around the turn around, I saw the it was nearly completely downhill to the water station and I needed to use that to my advantage and make up some time. I did!! I finished the second mile in 11 minutes.

I actually finished strong in a race for the first time ever where I picked up the pace and pushed hard through the finish line.

Run time was 25:38 and my overall race time was 1:12:41

I am very happy with my race and even happier that after I finished I was able to head back into transition, meet my friend as she came off the bike and paced her out of transition and onto the run. I then headed to the water station and waited for her to get there the first time and the second time. After that, I headed to the finish line to get a picture of her finishing her first triathlon.

It was a great day for both of us and we had a blast.

We are looking at a new race next month called Three Little Pigs in Smithfield, NC. I'll let you know.

I have laid out my training plan for the Princess Half Marathon in February next year at Epcot. This is my next MAJOR CHALLENGE!!