Ice Breaker Triathlon

Ice Breaker Sprint Tri

59:57.5              1/108 Female         8/282overall  

Going into this race I had 3 goals:

1- I have not done a triathlon with my new bike or actual clip-ins so practicing quick transitions
2- Every triathlon in the past I have subconsciously held back on the bike always wanting the run to be priority.  I did not want to do this… really wanted to push it the WHOLE race.
3 – Get in under 1 hour

Drove to American Fork, picked up race-packet… markings… pre race meeting… transition set up etc. etc.  Went for a quick warm-up (2.3 easy with some strides)

15 minutes before the race I still was unsure what I was going to wear.  Everyone was complaining how cold it was, but last minute I decided to take off my tri top and wear a swim top with tri shorts for the whole race.  

Swim (6:19/300 meters)

Indoor pool swim. Cluster mess.  I am not very confident in my swim, so when we were lining up I kept moving backward listening to the others talk about their swimming abilities.  Ended up stuck in the middle of the lanes and at the wall ends several times waiting for people. I need to make sure to start further up next time… especially in a lap pool! The time includes running from inside the pool to the transition area mat.

T1 (0:45)

Smooth and uneventful.

 

Bike (12 miles, 31:56, 22.5/mph)

I felt strong on the bike.  I caught a lot of people which was giving me more and more energy.  Fell short of my 25mph goal… probably should have looked at the course before setting it that high :) Double loop course with uphill going out and downhill coming back.  About 2 miles left on the bike, I took 1/2 a gel and drank poweraid zero with Powerbar Perform mixed in. (This is the first race I opened the gels and taped them to my bike. Worked out perfect)  My dad was at the dismount area and told me only 2 girls in front of me! So encouraging having him there. 

T2 (0:51)

Pretty smooth…Forgot to take my helmet off and had an official ask me if I was taking extra safety precautions running with a helmet on! Duh Christie! Right outside of T2 was Rachelle!!! Best way to start the last leg of this race.  (Note - I need to purchase the no tie laces for my shoes.) 

Run (3.1, 20:08, 6:30/mile)

The first half of the run shares the course with the biker's which is a bit scary.  I ended up running on the sidewalk most of the time to avoid a collision. Most of mile 1 my legs felt good but I felt like I couldn’t breath; very frustrating.  Mile 1 is going up the ‘big hill’ and my shoe lace came untied.  Stopped, fixed it and pushed up the hill.  Mile 2 is flat, and 3 is back downhill to the finish.  During the run I was catching men and on the look out for those two dang ladies.  Finally, I saw some braids ahead, found another gear, and just charged past her and didn’t stop pushing until the end.  I never knew what ‘running scared’ meant until today with that girl chasing me:) I was really hoping for a 19:2X… but happy with the effort I gave.       

Crossing the finish I had no idea my time because my Garmin was messed up and thought I was in 2^nd.  Rachelle and I went for a quick cool down waiting for the results to post.  When we got back my dad told me I did it… sub 1 hour and overall female!     

Cant say enough how much my dad freaking rocks.  I swear, he gets just as much of a workout as I do moving around to the different areas on the course!  So fun to have Rachelle there as well… I don’t think people know how much support really means/helps during a race.  This is the perfect pre season race: well organized & wonderful volunteers, challenging course to test your fitness, and ideal race before St George 70.3 :) 

and my post race FUEL THE MACHINE tradition...

SASHIMI

A few Brooks fav's

A few Run Happy favorites I've been loving....

 These Arm Warmers.  Even in cold temps, I get very hot if I am not in a tank.  These arm warmers work perfect... especially since Utah thinks it is still winter! Love the material, not constricting.

Across all brands, these are my favorite everyday tank and short.  Absolutely love.

Both are extremely light weight.  I admittedly sweat a TON and both items are very moisture wicking.

I feel like many Brooks tops are on the longer side, but this shirt is not.  It hits me right above my shorts while still covering my stomach - perfect. 

The shorts fit down lower on my waste which I really like.   When rolled down you have that bright pop of color! Pocket for a key/gel.

Infinity Short and Pure Drifts.  Shorts fit great, --- they remind me of a more flattering Nike Tempo short (read not so baggy).  The Pure Drifts are one of the most comfortable shoes I've put on.  Love that the the upper section is wide to give my toes room to move.  Extremely flexible.  I am using these for recovery runs.  Anything over about 8 miles or on rougher terrain, I don't feel there is enough 'shoe.'   

 

Lets talk about my go to shoe - Brooks Pure Connects.  When I first tried these shoes, I used them only for racing; but they have worked their way into my every day shoe rotation.  I have worn them for full marathons and even without socks for an entire Half Ironman (including on the bike before I got clip-ins) and have never had 1 problem with blistering/rubbing.  Light weight, wonderful arch support, and just enough cushioning to allow you to run long and FAST... cant say enough good about these pair of kicks! 

When I first got these shorts I wasn't a huge fan because they were longer than I am use to.  I decided to wear them for this past race and really liked them.  Again, the lower fit on my waste is a huge plus for me.  They are tight enough that your legs feel supported while not being compression tight.  I don't know why, but when I am working on speed or racing at a faster pace, that extra support on my legs feels good.  Most of all, they did not move what so ever.  The elastic band around the thigh is unnoticeable but keeps them in place. 

 Last is this Visor, Hat and Jacket.  I reviewed this jacket back when I was first getting into running and it is still my favorite.  I have one now for 'everyday' use and running use. 

What are some of your current running favorites??

Spectrum 10K and Training

I have not blogged in awhile! 

Lots of fun training has been going down...

Here is a quick little recap.

Spectrum 10K Race 39.43    1/73 AG, 9/467 Female, 30/791 Overall
This past weekend I was in St. George training and this race conveniently fit right into the training :D   

Smaller, super friendly race.  Organized well with the buses getting us up to the start.  (There is no real place to warmup at the start of the race so I would suggest doing your warm up at the park and then getting on the last bus up to the start.)

Miles 1-3 felt great.(downhill) First sub 6 mile!  Mile 4 the inclines in town start and got me in the zone... just told myself to hold onto the uncomfortable effort. When I turned the corner and saw the finish line clock under 40 I kicked hard and finished strong! PR
  
Splits (5:50, 6:27, 6:18, 6:38, 6:35, 6:34, 1:21)

Teresa has been upping the duration and intensity of my swim.bike.run. 

and I am loving Every.Second.Of.It

Swimming

Putting in some yardage!

Biking

Spending some quality time with Rocky! Trainer sweat fests... hill repeats... tempo efforts...time on the St George 70.3 course... Loving it!!  

 

Running

The sun is finally coming out in Utah!  I am going to do a post soon on some Brooks products I have been Running Happy in lately!

........................................................................7 weeks!!!!!!!!