Redman Olympic Distance

I have this list I've been working on... it's my 35 x 35 list... a list of 35 items to complete between now and before I turn 36.

#23. Complete an Olympic distance triathlon.

See the full list here.

The race was the Redman Olympic Distance Triathlon in Oklahoma City.

So the beginning of the story is this... I have this idea in my head that I need to do these physical challenges. And I honestly don't know if it's me trying to prove something or me trying to get better or me just not understanding myself at all... but at the end of the day, I'm not your typical athlete. I'm in pretty awesome cardio shape, but I carry extra weight. I'm not thin, I'm not tall, I'm not the typical runner shape, I'm certainly not the typical triathlete shape, none of it comes easy to me... but yet, I keep setting goals higher and higher and strangely enough... I keep meeting these goals. And it surprises even me.

That brings me to the fact that joining a group usually makes it easier to achieve my goals. I'm not saying everyone has to be groupies... but having people around to laugh, get advice from, comiserate with... goes a long way to getting me across a finish line... so while it's my race at the end of the day, I wasn't without a considerable amount of help getting across that line.

I don't have all of my pictures... but a few... and I will add later... I'm just afraid if I don't write it down now, I will forget the feeling... especially since my mind is already onto the next thing and the next thing and the next thing.

At the hotel room, I layed out all my gear... just checking to make sure I had everything.

(transition towel, body glide, sunscreen, wetsuit, swim cap, goggles, garmin, transition flip flops, bike shoes, socks, bike gloves, {the helmet was already in transition with my bike}, jersey, bike shorts, sports bra, tank top, compression shorts, water bottles, jacket, race belt w/number, sport beans, running shoes)


Now here it is in the actual transition area... it was dark. We got there about 6:00.


So one of the bad things about this Oly distance was they were running a sprint distance too... and the sprint took off about 7:00... leaving us to wait and wait and wait until about 9:00 before we could even start our race. That was a lot of time to kill... and we weren't allowed back into the transition area after they closed it for the sprinters. So for two hours, I stood around, barefoot, wearing less clothing than I typically wear in public, carrying my wetsuit and holding my swim cap and goggles so tightly in my fist (for fear of losing them somewhere) that I almost got hand cramps.

I also had to use a porta-potty... barefoot... and it was sloping down a hill... and I slid in my barefeet on the floor of that porta-potty... and I will try to never think about that again.

Bodymarking occured... and see my number? It's 3355... When I first saw my number I was like why couldn't it have been 3535! Wouldn't that have been a neat little coincidence?




I stood around and looked for my mom for an hour. And it was strange because while it wasn't that big of an area, I just couldn't find her anywhere... and I knew she was going to send me off into the water and watch me get out and transition to bike. I looked and looked and looked... and watched part of the sprinters transition to their bikes... and finally, I saw her... over by the water... I saw a flash of green and a flash of blonde hair and thought, that's my mom and booked it over to her. And it was... and I was about to cry before I even started... just so glad to have my mom there. (She hasn't sent me her pictures yet. And now that I think of it, I should have had someone take one of me with her. oops)

So finally it's our turn to get in the water... and I was really glad for the wetsuit... I think the water temp was about 73°??? They said what it was, but all I know is that I stepped into the water and it was cold for a minute... like, oh dear, what's this coldness. This is my swim wave... I'm in the rectangle. That's me!


Right about that time I was splashing water on myself trying to acclimate and thinking... "This is your race to finish. A finish is a win. This is your race to finish. A finish is a win." Over and over and over... and then they hit the air horn... and I tried like hell to move... and couldn't. It was just a second or two... and then I tried to put my face in the water and had a panic. It was pretty short lived though... and soon enough, I was headed for the first bouy. I was swimming next to a girl for several minutes and she kept swimming into me. I finally figured that she was swimming right and I was swiming left, so with her on my left and me on her right, we were destined to keep hitting... the thing was, she never noticed... because I kept correcting before I'd hit her... so finally I got smart (duh) and moved over to her left side so I could quit correcting to her and start correcting to the bouy.

Going out in the water wasn't bad at all... the wetsuit worked like a dream... and after the initial freak out of face in cold water *note to self: don't splash the wetsuit and your arms next time before you start, splash your face!*, I was never cold again. But the back side of the course was difficult. It was a triangle, sort of... and the back leg was the longest portion of the triangle and the water on that side was choppier... and the longer we swam, the choppier it got.

The thing about open water swimming I don't understand is... how can we have a whole damn lake and still manage to swim on top of each other? I don't get it... but I still swam into and got plowed over several times... the men's heat had gone off before us and they were passing us by the time I was on the far side. I did watch a very hilarious moment though... the bouys were giving me so many issues... everytime I came to a bouy, I was having a hard time swimming around it... and then when I finally started making decents turns, I had about four swimmers on top of me trying to make the turns too... so too many legs, a lot cussing and then just getting back to it... but this one lady was coming up on my left side, and I was cutting it around the bouy really short... but she just swam right into it. I started cracking up in the water... to see this woman swim right up, almost underneath, the bouy and then look up totally suprised. It's so something I would have thought I would do.

Two laps in the water. My shoulders were starting to get tired... but the swim went well... As I was coming out of the water, two volunteers helped me get my wetsuit unzipped... and basically made sure I wasn't going to fall over... I was a little worried about the transition from swimming to standing... I've run the gamut of weird ankle cramps to dizziness... but the only problem in the water, bodywise, was a slight cramp in my calf that started as I was making the final turn to leave the water.

Out of the water... there were several men standing over a mat yelling at me to see if I wanted them to strip me. (MY WETSUIT!) They told me I had to lay down, but as soon as they said that, I figured, I'd better not lay down... so I was actually able to strip my own wetsuit... if I'd had long sleeves, long pants on... I'd have needed help... but yeah.

Running to transition area... one of my running ladies was there as well... I heard her say, "You're not the last one out of the water!" And I mentally shook myself... because I was really glad for that... and then I saw my mom running over too, snapping pictures and yelled "MOM!" That was pretty much the only thing I said when I saw her all day. "MOM!"

Got to the bike... and I'm not a fancy mounter... I've seen the videos for a flying mount, without shoes... and let me tell you this... I'll probably never get to that... I will put on my shoes and run/walk my bike to the mount line and I will step over my bike and then start riding. I will not try to kill myself with a mount or a dismount. Seriously. I may be a triathlete, but chances of me being a "good" triathlete are pretty slim.

The bike was four laps... and it was a little bit of a mental struggle... because all along I'd thought it was going to be closer to 24 miles (40k), but it ended up being closer to 28 miles... as soon as I heard that, I pretty much knew I wouldn't have a sub five hour race... and I just went out and did the best I could... but that four additional miles just added too much time to a crunch to get under five hours. But you know what? So what? I still got out there and did it, right?

The bike was very difficult... more difficult than the time we went over there a couple of weekends ago... the wind was different and throughout my ride, it was constantly changing... up on the dam, riding into the wind and then down and around and up a few hills... the course finished on an uphill... and while it wasn't a huge incline, between the wind and the incline it was rough. And four laps of the same same same same stuff... well, it was good because I knew what was coming at me after the first lap, but I also knew what was coming at me after the first lap... and that end of the loop was tough. I got through it by saying to myself "you only have to do this two more times, one more time, you're done, you don't have to do that again" over and over and over. And there were tons of people who passed me... some I knew, some I didn't... but I kept hearing a steady stream of other people saying "you're doing it, keep going, you're doing great! You're awesome, great job!"

I finally made it back to the dismount area... I stopped my bike several feet before the dismount line because one of the things I hate most is hearing someone yelling at me "DISMOUNT BEFORE THE LINE!!!!!!!!!!!" It's just too ragged after everything... and you still have to change your thoughts to running... I wish the dismount area was a little more calm, but it's filled with people everywhere and excitement for you and because you're 2/3 of the way through... and it's a big emotional area that scares me a little.

So I'm standing a few feet from the line... and I realize... I'm so tight, I'm not sure how to get off the bike. My hands were clutched around the handle bars like they were holding me up (maybe they were)... and my legs were starting to go jelly. My feet were asleep. My brain was chugging... and I told the volunteer who ran up to me... "I don't know if I can do this." Meaning, I don't know if I can get off my bike... and he asked if I needed help... but I just slowed down for a second... stepped to the side, dropped my bike, and stepped over it... as he cheered me on and I ran/walked into transition for the last time.

I racked my bike, took off my bike shoes, put on my run shoes, grabbed a water bottle and started walking out of transition. They were already dismantling the racks for the sprinters... so I was dodging poles and people everywhere.... I asked a girl... "That way?" and she didn't hear me... so I said "MA'AM! Run out that way?!" And she heard me and said "Yes! Keep going!"

And for the next two hours... I put one foot in front of the other. It was two loops... about a mile and half out and back... and it never felt like it took so long to go a mile and a half. My Garmin was messed up when I tried to change from bike to run and I had no idea how far I'd gone. I luckily kept my other watch on, so I had a general idea of how long it was taking me and how long I'd been on the course.

But the run volunteers were awesome... because they actually have some time to talk to you... coming out of the swim, you're so dazed and focused on getting to the next thing, that it's hard to talk, the bike, they can talk, but you might not hear them, but on the run, they're just kind of right there with you... and every volunteer I passed said something... great job, keeping going, you're doing it, proud of you... and I was running with other athletes too... and our names were on our run numbers... so I was able to say "keep going Stacy, you're awesome Allen, etc... as well as them being able to call me by name too... it's comforting in that situation....

As I was walking out of transition... I started wheezing... so I didn't immediately start trying to run... I got myself calmed back down... I passed several people I knew (they were finishing the run as I was just starting it)... got my breath back and started landmark running... run from here to that light post or that bench... but then decided I needed a better plan... so I started a run/walk at a 1 minute interval... I kept that up for most of mile two and three... but by then, I was really fading... I should have eaten something else, but I couldn't stomach any of the nutrition I had on me to eat... so I just kept walking. At that point, it was hot and there was no shade on the run... but I put one foot in front of the other and just kept walking.

As I was rounding the final corner, I saw all the red netting that was the finish line chute.... and I almost started to cry... and then I wanted to run, but I just didn't have it... and a lady who was just walking, not racing, that day... came up beside me... she asked "Is there some sort of event going on today?"... I told her what we were doing... and she mentioned that she was going to walk to whole resevoir that day (about 9 miles)... and she asked "Am I distracting you?" And I laughed and told her I wasn't moving any faster than how fast I was going and that no, no distraction, it was nice to talk to someone... but she turned up her speed and was ahead of me before I knew I wasn't keeping up.

I finally rounded the last bend into the finish line area... and I was really near to tears at this point... five hours, tired, hungry, sick to my stomach, proud, sunburned, infinately proud, and happy, and nervous and everything all mixed up... and I hear the crowd... everyone still left at the race was lining the chute... My mom "MOM!", stepdad, several of my friends, people I will never know... all watching me and cheering for me as I walked into the finish area... they held out their hands for me to high five, they yelled for me... I was biting my lip at first trying not to cry, but then I just started smiling and couldn't stop and smiling made the tears go away, so I cheezed it up the whole time... I passed my coach... and then... I started running... it was about 25 yards to the finish line at this point... and as I started running the whole crowd just went up into this huge cheer! I crossed the finish line running, hands high in the air... pretty much never more proud of myself for finishing something.

One of the run volunteers who had been out on the course was back in the tent... he came running over and hugged me and said "I KNEW YOU COULD DO IT!"... I still don't have a clue what his name was... but I will remember that forever.

What an awesome experience. I was the final finisher... but someone has to finish last... It's just the way life is... but just because I finished last didn't put me in last place... because at the end of the day, that was my best race ever... I set a PR (personal record) because the first time you do any race is a PR... I did it. I finished it. It was a long day and I made it through... I didn't drown, I didn't wreck and I didn't fall. I made it across the line running, with people cheering for me too.

I did it.

I Want Pancakes!

I woke at up 3:45 this morning. Not on purpose... I also accidentally woke up (well, there was a huge and raging thunderstorm right outside my window) at about midnight too. I had the alarm set for 5:00... and although I woke up at 3:45, I allowed myself to lay there and "rest my eyes" for the next hour... I finally couldn't handle it anymore and turned the alarm off at 4:56 and got up.

I didn't pack my bag last night... remind me not to do that again... I had all the time in the world this weekend to pack my transition bag and plan a change of clothing, but I wait until race morning to do it? I did put my bike in the car last night though... that did help.

I finally gathered all my things and headed for Claremore at about 6:00... I stopped at Quik Trip for a water (my other two water bottles were saved for race time) and Red Bull (for caffiene) and change for the turnpike ($1.25, exact change only).

As I traveled down the road, I remembered I forgot my USAT card... but I had already shown it to pick up my race packet, so I didn't really worry about it... I had money with me, so if they demanded on it, I could have bought the one day liscence.

Then I thought I forgot my running shoes. Then I thought I forgot my socks. Then I thought I forgot my brain.

Got there, and got a really nice transition spot... centrally located... the bike out is at one end, the run out is at the other... I had the end of a rack, and I could see my green towel without much trouble. I need a better plan for the Danskin transition area, since it would be mucho grander.

I like the meet and greet in transition. A girl about my age, about my size, about my ability ended up racking right next to me... she was nervous, her first tri, she was fun to talk to... I met a couple of the other girls from the tri newbie group and I don't really remember what I said, but it ended up with a pat on the back and one of the girls saying "you're a great motivational speaker... you should go get up there on the mic and pump us up!"

And I was pumped up. Six months ago in the fall... scared to death... this morning... ready to go.

The clouds were coming and going... I thought about sacking up my shoes and socks just in case... but I figured it didn't matter anyway when I noticed that my green towel (actually it was my green yoga towel that has silicone buttons on the bottom to keep it from slipping) was soaked already... and I figured I'd end up with wet socks anyway... because there wasn't anyplace dry to stand (or sit) to transition.

The swim was FUBAR. I don't know what people were doing, but there were so many people clustered up around each other, it was almost kind of scary. And I passed and I passed and I passed. I tried to do some of it at the wall... but I just had to pass some of the people in the middle... I swam right on top of a couple of people before I could get slowed down and go around... I will not be modest with my swim time again... it just hurt me... but all the clusters I saw with the people down around 11:00 minutes were scary too... it's just scary having that many people in a pool... at any given time there were usually at least 6 people in a lane (three up and three down) but I saw several instances of about 10 people crowding a lane at a time.

They haven't posted the splits yet, so I don't have the first idea of what my swim time was... but I think I heard someone yell ELEVEN as I was wading out of the walk out pool. That wade out is hard work. So I'm thinking my swim was somewhere around 11:00 minutes.

I was right... I stepped on the grass in my sock foot immediately. I really tried not too... it squished... and then I did it again with my other foot. I tried to run my bike out of the transition area... but it's hard when it's wet grass, mud and 150 other people trying to do the same thing. I heard someone behind me say something to the effect of "you've got to be kidding me" and tried to put on some speed... but I didn't worry too much about it... I just tried to get out of the way was much as possible and for all I know that person wasn't even talking to me at all.

Let me say this first. I didn't walk that hill. I DIDN'T WALK THAT HILL! Third time is a charm! The biking was cold... I'll admit it... I ended up with my short sleeve top instead of trying to struggle into the long sleeves... but it would have been just as cold with long sleeves, because it would have gotten wet too. It sprinkled a little, but never rained. I got passed once on an uphill and it irritated me... because you can't draft for one thing... and anything short of two bike lengths between you and another rider is considered drafting unless you're going to pass... so this kid passes me... in the middle of a hill... with the race official RIGHT THERE... so I had to drop back two bike lengths immediately... meaning I had to slow down going up a hill... that was pretty much the only hill that made me want to drop f bombs this time though.

As I came into transition again... they have a dismount line... I know it's supposed to make it safer for the transition area, so you don't ride your bike into the area and run over people... but it comes up so abruptly that it's weird... I know to expect it, but somehow it still sneaks up on me... and it doesn't help when the race volunteers are bellowing at you that you HAVE TO DISMOUNT BEFORE THE LINE! I came to a skidding halt... almost fell on top of my bike, tried to get off my bike, dropped it... yes I dropped my bike... and grabbed it back up and ran away... hoping that no one else fell because I dropped my bike right there... I heard someone right.behind.me... but I didn't look back.

Stepped in the wet grass again. LOVE my lace lock thingies so I didn't have to tie my running shoes... HIt the road.The run is hard... it goes out fairly flat for about half a mile and then you go up this big long hill for another half a mile and then you turn around and come home... I'm not gonna lie... I walked that hill... but my running goal was not to break any records, but to run more than I did in the fall... and that wasn't hard at all because I ran about the first 10 yards and the last 20 yards in the fall... I ran more than 30 yards and actually did my two miles in a little over 30 minutes.

I sure wish they would post the splits... I really want to know my swim time.I felt really good about this race. Knowing people helped a lot... Last year I didn't really know anyone and didn't talk much in the transtion... this year was better... I could talk instead of being nervous... I got a little panicky as I was rounding the corner to make my jump into the pool, but took several deep breaths and found myself calming down. I had to talk myself through one of the hill sequences... I hit the top of one and saw the tops of the next two... I didn't f bomb, but I did take a deep breath and say Julie Julie Julie out loud... meaning what have I gotten myself in to... but then I reminded myself that I had already done this course just last weekend and survived it then.

When I saw my posted time 1:39:43... I had to do a double take and when I realized that was really my name I let out a "HOLY CRAP!" and got a couple of laughs from the people around me... I was proud... very proud... considering I thought 1:50 was just barely doable and 1:45 was something I had to push hard to do... and I didn't feel like I was pushing all that hard... until now.

I do hurt now... my legs are still jelly and my head hurts and I have an overwhelming desire for pancakes. Lots and lots of pancakes with eggs and sausage and syrup and a big fat diet coke... I don't know why the diet coke... but I want it...

I'm so glad I did the tri-newbie training... it really made this race fun. FUN!

How Did I Manage To Get Here Already?

I joined a group. One of those tri-newbie groups... and I thought, oh yes! I will have much to write about with the Tri-Divas... I will have much to record... but I didn't... and strangely enough, our goal race is tomorrow. Actually it's in about 14 hours that I will be leaping into the water.

I can briefly paraphrase...

All the men are married (DANG!).

I thought I could swim, and then they said I had a lot to work on, and then I thought I couldn't swim and then suddenly I could swim. In our practice time trials, I added a full 45 seconds and then I took off a full 2 minutes from my previous race time. I learned a little about pacing and that drafting in the pool is ok. On that last time trial, I got behind one of the faster women... and I knew I couldn't pass her, but I sat right there on top of her for about four laps. She finally pulled away... but it kept me moving fast.

I learned that it's ok to brag about your swim time when you sign up... that you shouldn't say you swim a 13 minute 400 when you know you can do an 11 minute one... because they will sede you at 13 minutes... and more than likely I will be struggling to pass tomorrow, instead of being where I need to be up with the people moving my speed.

In the back of my head, I can't help but think that my little 400 meter snake swim in a pool tomorrow is going to be nothing compared to the 800 meter open water swim in June. I have approximately 6 weeks after tomorrow to get comfortable with twice the distance and no walls to push off. I'm actually looking a little bit forward to it.

I learned that I stayed too long in the big chain ring on the bike... I fight hills like crazy... but I'm slowly becoming aquainted with my middle and small chain rings and I'm finding that I really like those guys. I had no idea they would be quite so helpful.

I also found that by going out and riding with stronger riders, I find bits of frustration and bits of wonder... because I couldn't always keep up with them... but even if I wasn't keeping up, I wasn't so far behind that I couldn't see them... I could always see them. Which did wonders for my confidence on the bike.

And running... well, they left me in the dust on the runs... but I found out more and more that I didn't care. Because this is my race and not theirs... and I spent a lot of time feeling self concious about what I couldn't do when I had no focus on what I was doing... but finding that moment when I told myself this is YOUR race... it didn't matter anymore. You would think I had known that already.

I found it difficult to train with both men and women... the women want to pull each other along and the men just want to finish. It's not a bad thing... it's just a thing. And I'm not saying that the men weren't encouraging, because they definately were... but they were interested in finishing what they set out to do and then they could focus on encouraging... the women wanted everyone to finish with them... no woman left behind. And I found myself near to tears at times when I thought I couldn't do something and a woman dropped back with me, talked me through it, and said those wonderful words... You.Can.Do.This.

And now I sit here and think about how terribly nervous I was about six months ago, the night before my first triathlon... and how calm and ready I feel six months later the night before my second triathlon.

I feel so proud of my progress. And so ready to get out there and face off with that course tomorrow morning.

This is my race to win. And there won't be any losing tomorrow... because how can you lose when you get out there and tri.