Team Skidmore/USA Update

I can’t believe how close I am to racing in the World Championships! It’s starting to become more real. I’ve been so busy with Team Skidmore stuff all summer I haven’t had a chance to really think about London.

My Team USA gear came in! Check it out

The last event we had was the send off party and it was great! Thanks to the Auto Road and Howie for hosting it. I had been thinking all summer about my speech and wanted it to be perfect. I kept putting it off but I finally sat down a few days before and finished most of it. I didn’t want to look back afterwards and forget something. I have a really hard time with public speaking but I had to do this. So many people contributed to getting me to London, so I had to get over my uncomfortableness.

I made a video from my last race Tri for a Preservation in Cape Elizabeth ME you can watch it here! Gina gathered pictures from all my races and made a slide show, I had all my medals and awards on display, Dick Pollock made a huge banner from a photo shoot for all to sign, we pulled the Big Summer Long Raffle and last minute gifts were donated.

Gina spoke, thanked everyone said she enjoyed the crazy summer working with Steve and I and couldn’t believe the amount of support in the room and the community. A few people trickled in as Gina started her speech. Halfway through I look up and see Becky and Amy from college who I haven’t seen in more than two years. I ran over , hugged them and cried I couldn’t believe they came it was a surprise that Gina kept from me.  

Steve said a few words about coaching and training and how it takes courage to be so committed to training, it made me feel good about training and where I am in life.

I only cried about 4 times during my speech and once I got started I was fine. When I finished I presented a medal to Steve and Gina for first place Coach and Manager and two plaques.

Then I called Laura and Tami to the front. They held up my “Presto Chango” Laura made me. It’s a portable changing room that I bring to all my races. Gina explained how I use it while I stepped in and took off my shirt and skirt and threw them out the top. I heard gasps and laughter they were very surprised that I was actually taking my clothes off! Steve Caming stepped over and grabbed an overhead shot.

Just before I stepped out in what most people thought would be my underwear, Gina said “..and when she’s done, she’s ready for the podium!” and I came out in my official Team USA triathlon suit with my last name. It was awesome, everyone cheered and took photos.  I had been waiting for that suit since I registered last August! It was the highlight of the evening.

Thank you all who came some that drove more than two hours- my family from Groton VT and Becky and Amy from Lyndonville VT. 

I though we’d have more time after the send off party to get ready for London and Ireland vacation after. We are leaving in four days and I have lots of questions.

The World Championships are set up like the Olympics; opening ceremony, parade of nations, multiple triathlons and a closing ceremony. I am getting so excited not just to race at that level but to experience it all. The logistics for London are not super clear. I know when I am racing I know when the opening and closing ceremonies are and that’s just about it. The bike course will be closed to all athletes and there are set times to swim train in Serpentine Lake as well as other locations for biking. We received our 44 page athlete handbook with just about everything we need to know except when we meet up with our countries coaches and fellow teammates. One of the coolest things is the chart when each country has to check in and register. There are 54 countries! When we check in the night before our uniforms get checked and we leave our bikes in the TA overnight. The uniforms will be checked again in the morning.

Hyde park is where the Olympics were last year and we on the same course, that’s going to feel awesome! We bike three laps and run two laps which will be nice for spectators. I’ve been watching videos from the Olympics to get a feel of the set up. In the women’s race there were only 55 athletes, which left plenty of room on course. I have no idea how many will be in the sprint and  men and women are mixed. Last year there were 60 in my age group. I’m concerned about the course being crowded but as Steve pointed out I’ve been racing for a while and I mountain bike so my bike handling skills are great. Plus we will be working on cornering and accelerating in aero bars in parking lots this week.

My last tri before London was the Circle Tri in Ashland NH. I placed well but didn’t feel great. I was 1^st female and 11^th overall out of nearly 200. My food didn’t digest very well so was dealing with stomach issues before and during the race. The bike course was hilly so my legs weren’t awesome on the run. I was so excited about my 6:09 pace in the last tri I was hoping to match that or do better. I knew 1 min into the run that I wasn’t going to run that pace. I ran the first mile in 6:24 and the second in 6:23 so I was consistent but not fast. The last .7 miles were tough. I heard someone catch up to me with .2 to go and couldn’t let him or her pass me. I gave it my all and finished in front of him. It was good battle and it could happen in London so I’m ready for that! Not every race is going to go smoothly so it’s always a learning experience being able to deal with what happens on race day or during the race, I love that part about competing!

We found out the awards weren’t happening until 12 and I finished at 9:15. We weren’t excited about that but decided we should wait because I was first overall. My calf has been bothering me so Steve massaged it and I had time to do an easy 30 min spin for recovery.

We waited for the kids race to end. We noticed there weren’t many athletes waiting for awards like usual. It was just the kids which they awarded first. Then onto the adults still hardly anyone around. They announced top three males and only the 2^nd place male was still around and I was the only female. There were no age group awards, that’s a first. I got a box of shot blocks and a small tin of alge energybits. I don’t race for the awards or the podium feeling, but it is nice to have something from each race and to be recognized for the hard work. It was disappointing to wait nearly three hours then have to drive two hours back home.
Photographer Dick Pollock one of my sponsors came down and shot some photos and to my suprise put together a video!

MEG - CIRCLE TRI, ASHLAND, NH from Dick Pollock on Vimeo.

This week is busy; on top of training and packing, I’m met with Steve, Gina and Tami to discuss logistics for London. Today I had cornering techniques in a parking lot with Steve, so much fun! Thursday starts the Fall Trail Running Series at Great Glen and Friday evening I was invited to run in the Millen Mile. At half time at the Kennett High Football game a few of us get to run a mile as fast as we can. I’ve never been part of a half time show so I’m really excited to have the honor!

I just found out that ITU International Triathlon Union will connect to my Facebook page and post my splits and results the morning of the race. My race starts at 8:00am, 3:00am here and my wave goes off at 8:40!

I plan on at least one more blog before I leave and of course when I'm in London.

Greenfield Tri

A PR!! 1:13:35 .3 mile swim, 14.8 mile bike and 3.1 mile run. Had to drive 3.5 hours for it but it was a well organized race and worth the trip.

I’d like to thank Gina for giving up almost every weekend this summer to drive me all over New England! She books the campgrounds, packs all food necessary, cooks dinner and breakfast and makes sure I’m eating and drinking enough the day before. And to Steve for being at every race, leaving at 3am and driving numerous hours the morning of a race. He has molded me into an amazing athlete in his kind ways. He layers on advice about techniques when I’m ready for them and is at just about every workout pushing me. I don’t think I could find a better coach with such dedication.

After working 6 days this week because I took a day for racing last weekend, we left town at 4:45pm. Arrived in Greenfield at 8:15 with just enough daylight to pre ride one loop of the course. The roads were in incredible shape, smooth as butter! I wasn't super amped for this race, my legs were still a little heavy from last weekend, the long drive and the late hour of arrival.


I finished in the dark and we checked into the hotel that we’d spend just 9 hours in. Gina pre cooked dinner and we watched the Red Sox. Bed at 10:30 and up at 5:15.

The race morning jitters got me pretty good. I didn’t want to eat anything. I had half a banana, less than half a bagel w/ peanut butter 2 spoonfuls of yogurt and took in the rest of the calories in liquid form, Heed and Skratch added to my water.

We arrived at the race venue and checked in. It was a very nice small recreation area. They dammed the river and made a natural swimming pool about 4 feet deep for 1/4 mile.

This race was combined with an international race starting at 8am 1/2 hour before the sprint. We shared the transition area (TA) again.

I was hoping for a first come first serve set up in the TA so I could grab the outside again, no luck. Race numbers was stuck to the racks. I started setting up and went to put my race number on my belt but the number was way too small the holes didn't line up with the bungees. So I pulled out my fancy duck tape and made it work!

Between the mandatory pre race meetings, national anthem and TA closure it's very tricky to time a 45 minute warm up. The pre race meeting was at 7:15-1 hour and 15 minutes before we started. My warm up is a brick and my shoes were already set up. I really didn't want to come in right in the middle of the meeting or the national anthem. I really need to bring extra running shoes for this reason. I didn't want to wait until after the anthem to go it would be too close to race start. I waited until 7:20 and then found out the TA closed at 7:45. I decided I'd wear Gina's shoes for the run and went out on my bike. Had to keep an eye on the time to get my bike back in TA so I shortened my ride. My legs were a little heavy for both PI's not much I could do about it except push through during the race. I racked my bike at 7:40 and the race meeting was still going. Went out for my run and started feeling a little better.

I went down to the river to check out the swim course. 

We were swimming down stream then right back up. We had to wait until the International swimmers finished. It was neat to watch them go by twice. All other races I've done the swim course is an out and back.

My mom and Jim drove up from CT to watch me race! 

Once they were done we were given the ok to warm up. I was in wave 4 so I had plenty of time. The pre race email said the temp was 72. I hopped in and was surprised, it was way cooler than 72. We were all pretty cold at the start, my teeth were chattering. They counted us off and I swam as hard as I could.  After 2 mins a piece of river vegetation got stuck across my nose. It stayed on my face for the next 5 mins I didn't want to stop to take it off. I kept laughing inside though. The waves were brutal and I swallowed enough water to last the rest of the race.

It was a short run to the TA. I switched my stuff and went to run out with my bike but the person next to me was pulling his bike from the rack and blocked me for a few seconds, it threw me off a little.

The bike course was awesome. The pavement was so nice and smooth and we got to do two laps! I passed so many people which I always find surprising. I feel training for biking is more accessible than training for swimming. It's easier to go for a bike ride then finding a place to swim. My legs were still a little heavy but I wanted to push them pretty far to see what I had.

I came in for my run and switched over in 33 seconds! I pushed hard on the bike so my legs weren't as fresh as usual. I started out a little slow but got into a groove after the first mile. I passed two guys and tried to widen the gap. I was passed by a very tall guy with super long legs. I told him those must be coming handy right now. He chuckled I stayed with him for awhile and then he began to pull away but I didn't let him out of sight. As we neared the finish I tried to catch him. I sprinted down the chute and if there were 20 more feet of course I would have passed him!

As I walked away I almost got sick I pushed so hard. I met up with Gina and Steve and they asked where that last sprint came from. I said I wanted to catch the guy ahead of me! They loved it. I chatted with my mom and Jim got a few pictures and they headed home.

A racer came up to me to congratulate me and he said he was going to London, he was pretty excited he'd know someone. He talked with Steve and they might be on the same flight. I elevated my legs and drank my recovery drink and went to change. I used the Presto Chango that Laura Brockett made me!

I was first again!! The guy I was talking to was also the first male. Greg Shea from northern VT and Meg Skidmore from northern NH drive a combined 8 hours and win a race in MA. It was a cool feeling.

They announced first through 3rd for the men and I watched what Greg got to hold up. It was a wooden plate. Then the photographer traded it for a piece of paper. I was curious. Then came overall women. I congratulated the second place and accepted my plate.

The exchange was a form to fill out. I would get the wooden piece mailed to me with my name engraved on it! I couldn't believe it I've never gotten anything like that before. Then I was pulled aside for a short interview with the local paper. That was a first too! Read all about it here: http://www.recorder.com/home/7935671-95/shea-bensen-steal-show-at-lightlife-triathlon

I said goodbye to Greg and gave him my Team Skidmore card and made sure we'd stay in touch. Steve was headed back and we were meeting my aunt and uncle in VT on the way home.

It was another good day, a very long day but good. Gina and I both didn't want to spend 3 hours in the car on Saturday after working all day but it was worth it.

We haven't decided where I'll be racing next. It's either outside of Boston or on Cape Elizabeth ME. really hoping is in ME, it's a lot closer! 

2x the Fun!

My race schedule had me racing twice in two days. The Mascoma Man Triathlon in Enfield NH a two hour drive and the Bethel Time Trial in Me 40 minutes away from Randolph. I made reservations for two nights at the Mascoma Lake Campground forgetting about the TT. I was super excited it was the first Saturday race and we had the chance to relax for the whole weekend! My friend Tyler was racing in his second tri and his family was camping too! We tried convincing Steve to let me skip the TT but he really wanted me to experience races back to back. I reluctantly understood.

I live in North Conway almost and hour from Gina and Tami's in Randolph. I was meeting them at their house Friday morning after my swim training and my pre race brick workout. I was riding back to their house with Steve after my tri and staying there Saturday night. Bethel is about 30 minutes from their house and we had plans on Sunday evening to talk about London. I was staying over again and swimming near their house and then to work. So Thursday evening I packed for four days! I have become quite the expert of packing and unpacking!

I also received an email that night with an update on the water temperature. If it's above 78º wearing a wetsuit will disqualify you from results. I had a small panic attack when I read that. Wearing a wetsuit not only keeps you warm it helps your lower half stay right near the surface of the water. Friday mornings swim training was changed from the river to the lake-no wetsuit. I haven't swam without a wetsuit in a few months so I knew I needed the practice.

I was very excited to be racing and had prepared mentally for most of the week plus there was a whole group camping. We arrived at the campground and checked in. We climbed the mountain to our site and laughed.  Our site was tiny with no picnic table or fire pit so we moved to a bigger one.

Tyler and his family arrived about an hour after us and set up. Packet pickup was from 5-8pm that evening and I had to ride the course. Tyler and I took off on our ride while Tami, Miranda and Lilly got dinner ready. Gina had to grab a few items from the store.

The pick up was three miles from the campground. The road followed the edge of the lake and it was a beautiful ride. The 16 mile course was an out and back with some long climbs. There were no shoulders and the pavement wasn't that great so I really needed to concentrate and hold on! On the way back we checked out the transition area met Gina on her bike and rode back to camp. I should have brought a bag to put our race stuff in but wasn't thinking. We drove back to packet pickup and checked out the bike shop. Dinner was the usual stir fry chicken, veggies and a salad. We had a great evening chatting by the fire and talking about the race.

The morning was gorgeous! We made breakfast and Tyler met us at our site at 6:30. It took just five  minutes to get to the venue and the lake was sparkling.

 

We were one of the first to arrive so we got to pick our spots in transition. The end of the rows are the best so you don't have to run in, down the row and back and out. The transition was different than most races it was split in two. The sprint- 1/3 mile swim, 16 mile bike and 3 mile run and the half 1.2 mile swim, 56 bike and 13 mile run. The half started two hours before the sprint. I set up and went out for my warm up. I was the only one on the road.

I loved riding near the lake it brought back so many memories of my childhood. I used to get up at 5am with my Grampie sneak into the fridge to get bread and quietly make our way down to the dock not waking Grammie up and feed the fish and ducks. The sparkling sun on the water, the stillness in the air and time with Grampie will never leave my memory.

I did my first three minute all out and felt a little sluggish. I recovered turned back and after I finished my second power interval I felt better. I reported that back to Steve and he confirmed that hows its supposed to feel. I went out on my run and the same happened except I didn't feel super great after the second one. It's always a challenge to time my warm up with the start of the race. I'm usually behind schedule and don't often get a good swim in. This time I was ahead of schedule! We got the word wetsuits were allowed and I began the process of getting into it. It's much better when someone helps.

We plan on filming the next race so you will see the process!

Tyler and I were excited we could wear wetsuits!

I was able to get a great swim warm up in. This week Steve and I were working on my sighting. I've been lifting my head up too high which makes my legs sink and slows me down. I sight every 10 strokes so that's a lot of slowing down. Steve watched me and said it was much better. I also struggle with going out too hard and being out of breath before the first turn. Steve said to focus on a high turn over with a little less power until I fall into my rhythm. The national anthem played which always brings a little tears to my eyes knowing how hard my brother fought overseas for me to have this opportunity and I'm thankful he's home safe. 

I was in the second wave and this time they were mixed male and female another first for me. I was so pumped to race and go all out. The horn sounded and I went out fast but relaxed and let a few people pass. My sighting was better and I didn't panic. 

I drafted off a few swimmers and made sure I swam as far into the shore as possible. Most swim until they first see the bottom, stand up and try to run in waist deep water. It's much faster to keep swimming. I was the 6th swimmer out in my wave!

The run up to T1 was long but it was nice to regroup and prep for the bike. Plus, I was able to stuff my nice race goggles in my swim cap instead of leaving them on the ground open for getting trampled on. I shoved the bottom half of my wetsuit down to my calves and got my foot out in one pull. It was the fastest I've done it! I ran out with my bike, got to the mount line and couldn't get my feet clipped in, it took me a few tries. Usually I'm in the first time.

I knew the ride was going to be tough and Steve had a plan. Go out hard at a pace you almost can't keep up and know you'll cruise the long downhill on the way back.  He didn't tell me my legs would be more tired for the run because he knew I'd hold back, very true. I passed a few in the first mile.  I leap frogged one guy and looked back the after the second pass and he was drafting! I moved over slightly and back and almost said something but didn't. We approached the first long climb he stood for a little and I dropped into an easier gear and spun up past him. The climb was about 3/4 of a mile when I reached the top and glanced back, he was less that half way up! He never caught me. I pushed it downhill and up the next. I could see the turn-around it was a 180. I quickly ran through what I needed to do to loose the least amount of speed. I downshifted into the right gear made the turn and as I accelerated I hit the one small rock on the road and slipped up a little and then accelerated as fast as I could right back up to speed and back into the aero bars to settle in. I was passed on the climb and tried to stay with him but couldn't. I topped the hill and began the descent. I knew the pavement was horrible and stayed more towards the middle of the road. I always wear clear lens so I can see when there are shadows from the trees.

I came back into town and had a few miles left. I was a little concerned about not having enough left for the run.

Got through T2 in 24 seconds and my legs were not so light and quick. The run was out and back on the same road as the bike course. There was one deep valley towards the beginning. I was trying to be fast but just wasn't feeling it. As I approached the turn-around, the volunteers asked if I was doing the sprint or the half. I yelled sprint and they directed me to turn around the cone. The half continued on. There were two cyclists coming at me so I had to hesitate and time my turn without getting run over. I tried to imagine there was no hill but it only worked for so long. I watched the other women and tried to gauge their pace. As I topped the hill I saw the turn back to the finish. I visualized a rope pulling me closer and closer. I made the last turn and sprinted and almost missed the finish shoot!

I pushed so hard and looked at my run time and busted out in tears. I was happy with my effort but so disappointed with my run time 22:34. I was so caught up in comparing it with the last race 20:50 that I didn't take into consideration the hills. Steve found me and hugged me then Gina met me with hug and told me to let it go, it was hilly. It's so hard not to focus on numbers and not all sprints are the same distance. They range from 1/4 mile to a 1/2 mile swim and the bike is 12 -16 miles and of course the terrain is different. I need to work on recognizing this before I race and not be upset when my finish times are so different. I finished the previous tri in 1:14 and this week my time was 1:18.

I met up with the group, elevated my legs and waited for Tyler. 

They had screens up with the results and we discovered they were only the swim times for both the Half and Sprint. We got some food and watched the rest of the finishers. We kept checking the screens for more results but they weren't being updated.

As they started gathering the prizes no one knew how they finished, the results still weren't posted. As the top male was announced and the crowd cheered, I said to myself I hope my time was good enough for first place. Then they announced my name as first place female, I was super happy!

We took a few photos and looked at the printed results and Tyler was 4th in his age group!

We picked up our gear out of the transition area and headed back to the campground for a cook out. 
The weather was beautiful and plans after lunch were a nap, swimming, kayaking and relaxing. I really wanted to stay and hang but I was racing the next day all the way back in Bethel ME about three hours from the campground. We packed my stuff in Steve's car and headed north back to Randolph. I did a quick load of laundry ate dinner and went to bed.

I was meeting Steve at 6:45 in town to head over to Bethel. It was a beautiful morning in Randolph.

I checked the course online and rode part of it the week before so I knew what to expect for the second half. When we arrived racers were prepping their really nice bikes and registering. Steve and I checked in and got our numbers. I was 116 at the tri and was 114 for this race almost could have left my number on my bike.
Steve and I went out for a warm up spinning high getting legs warm. I had 3 Power Intervals to do with 5 min recovery in between. We rode out on most of the first half of the course. My legs were so tired and heavy. Usually after the third PI it goes away but not this time, but I knew that would happen. On our return to the start two convertibles passed us, honked and waved. I had no idea who it was.

We arrived back at my car and saw four blue t-shirts. It was a few members of Team Skidmore, the Surettes and the Richards! I was so excited they came!

Steve and I attended the pre race meeting No drafting, say to left of white line except to pass and careful of the potholes on the North Road. Racers were starting 30 seconds apart. Steve was first, but he prefers to be towards the back so he has riders to chase. I got in line and waited for my turn. I wanted to do well but wasn't sure how my legs would feel.
The start makes me feel like a pro! They hold your bike up so you're not loosing time fumbling to clip in. Just have to be sure your in the right gear!

They counted me down and I was off. My goal was to ease into it and maintain what I could. Rt 2 West has nice wide shoulders and smooth pavement. I caught and passed two before the turn at about half way. I was also passed by two racers who were going so fast it felt like I was barley moving. I picked off two more on the North Road. A few miles in I saw a rider on the side of the road working on his bike. As I got closer I recognized him, it was Steve! I asked if he was ok and he yelled "go! go! go!" He either had a flat or mechanical. Huge bummer.

I didn't know exactly where the finish was and was starting to loose speed and power. I didn't even think to switch my computer screen over to mileage. I really should have. I was passed by another female who was very very strong. I tried to stay with her but only lasted a few seconds my legs were burning. A half mile later I saw the finish I gave it all I had.

Steve was just a few minutes behind me. I cheered him through the finish line and we met up with our fans.

Talked about the race and then looked at results. The race crew had a small pop up tent, four timers and three computers. One was set up facing the racers and results were posted in live time.

I raced 19 miles in 53:33 not too bad considering how tired my legs were.

Awards were back at the start. Steve and I went out and spun for awhile. I was fourth female and second in my age group so I wanted to be back for awards. We loaded the bikes in the car, changed quickly, I mixed my recovery drink and joined the award ceremony. They awarded the first place finishers in each age group with a t-shirt. I though they'd go back through and do second and third but they didn't. That's ok I know it takes a lot to put on a race and the costs associated.

I was happy with my time and the experience of racing two days in a row.

It's now four days after the event and I'm just now 11pm finishing this blog, I rushed through the TT recap. This week has been very busy.
Monday-5:30 am Swim training, work, afternoon ride, pack things for the next week of house sitting
Tuesday- Work, mtn bike race/brick, move into new house
Wednesday-5:30 am swim training, work, afternoon ride 1.5 hours didn't eat enough and bonked hard at end of ride was out of it for an hour or so then had to be driven to get banner from bike club for a photo shoot the following day.
Thursday-7am meeting at work, work, photo shoot and afternoon time trial. Had to bring a friend home due to rain and had to get trainer back at my house to ride inside. Started workout at 7pm dinner at 8:30, finished Blog prep for practice race at 5:30 am
Friday- Practice triathlon at race pace before work, work, pm workout.
Saturday - pre race workout before work then drive to Greenfield MA 3.5 hours for a Triathlon on Sunday.

5 days of Mountain Bike Guiding and a Triathlon

Winning my last triathlon by 8 minutes came as a huge surprise! I wasn't feeling all that strong coming into the weekend. I had been guiding 9 teenage boys on a 5 day mountain bike camp. Plus there were two Triathlon Clubs racing and they usually bring some good competition. Mountain biking for 5 days sounds like enough training, but mountain biking is very different than riding on the road and I've logged less then 10 hours total on my mountain bike for the summer. On top of guiding I was also Tri training before and after mountain biking all day. The camp pace wasn't that fast but being off road takes a lot out of you as well as managing the safety of teenage boys. I've been training at a high cadence to prep my legs for running, with mountain biking I am unable to sustain a high cad and my bike weights much more than my triathlon bike. Also Tuesday night, the second day of camp, was week 2 of the Great Glen Summer Bike Series. Most of the boys raced and I waited until they all returned safely. I raced the 5 miles in 24:41 then had a run immediately after. Then the next morning I had swim training at 5:30 am. On day 4 I had an obligation to speak at an after school program about unicycling. For those of you who don't know, I am the first female to unicycle up the Mt. Washington Auto Road! The Auto Road is 7.6 miles, avg grade is 12% with a 100 yd 22% at the very end. I shared my experiences with the teen club and played a few games before my track workout with Steve that evening. Finished that around 8pm then home to make dinner and get ready for swim training at 5:30 am and the last day of mountain bike camp.

All week I had the Tri in the back of my head. When Saturday came my legs were heavy and I was tired. I was going to try my hardest the next day but lower my expectations. The day before a race I have a specific brick workout and usually do it as I preview the race course in the afternoon. Because I worked Monday I had Saturday off and had more time to get to my race 2.5 hours away in Concord NH. I completed my workout on Saturday morning then Gina met me at my house, with groceries. I don't have much time to go food shopping so that was a surprise. I now had meals for the next two weeks.

We drove to Concord, checked into the Cozy Pond Campground a very small ma and pa owned business.

We set up camp, I took my nap and then drove 20 minutes into downtown Concord to preview the bike course and transition area. The race was on the NHTI campus. The swim was rectangle shape in the Merrimack River. The first part up river and then back down and exiting on the boat launch. Looking at last years results I knew there would be only about 100 athletes, this was the 2nd annual and by the small size of the transition area. We tried to follow the bike directions but it was tricky. We discovered a mile into the course it went off road. They had pieces of carpet stretching about 200 feet uphill with a narrow sidewalk on the side. I didn't know how this would play out.

The course went down main street and near the hospital. The back half of the course was hilly but the pavement was good. I knew the course went through the city and wasn't going to be closed to traffic so I really needed to pay attention to the course markings.

We drove back to the campground made dinner, had a fire and I painted my nails!

Went to bed and listened to a Screech owl for hours. We usually break down camp after the race but because it was 20 minutes out of the way we got up early and packed everything. Bagel and fruit for breakfast and we were on our way.

The air was thick and humid. We parked in the athlete lot, the other lot was reserved for NASCAR shuttles. Which got interesting during the race. I checked in, got marked and set up my spot. I went back to the lot to find Steve super gluing my rear tire. It had a few cracks in it.

That made me a little nervous. As I started my warm up I was already sweating. I rode to the carpet section. The course went up the hill single file and down the side walk which had 2 sets of train tracks and 2 mini rumble strips for the blind, also single file. I went out and back and switched to my run warmup. I was hungry. I returned to my spot and found it pretty crowded but I managed. The transition area was closing and now it was time to get into my wetsuit. I found a trick online to make it easier, put your foot inside a plastic shopping bag and it slips on like butter! Same for the arms. However trying to stretch the rest of it over a sweaty body is like molasses.  I ate a package of shot blocks and listened to the anthem.

Most races distinguish waves by different color caps, not this one, females had pink men wore blue. Females 19-39 were in the 4th wave. The course was in the river and because of all the rain and strong current reduced to 1/4 of a mile. I was able to see the top men finish. They called our wave and I made sure I got in the front. I turned around and only saw about 10 other girls. I panicked usually there are 40-50 in my wave. I asked another swimmer and she confirmed I was in the correct wave. Steve had a plan, swim as close to shore as possible to avoid the strong current.

I was out front for a while. I always start too fast and my heart rate sky rockets. I could see a girl passing me so I drafted her for as long as I could. The next part of the plan was to swing way high after the first turn so the current wouldn't take me past the second buoy. that didn't work either. The current was pretty strong right near the buoy and I was swimming in place for about 15 seconds. Once I made the turn it got easier and I passed the last turn for the boat launch. Swam in as far as I could and ran out and up to transition.

 

It was a short run to T1 and there was one girl sitting on the ground switching into her bike gear. I was out before she stood up. My legs weren't quite ready for the ride but I just pushed through it. 

I focused on getting through the single file section and luckily there was no one there. I made my way down Main Street trying to follow the small painted arrows on the pavement. The road was open to traffic and the cops were there for the vehicles more than the cyclists. I came up on a red light with two cars side by side and couldn't tell if I needed to go straight or turn right. I looked for arrows, didn't see any and went right in between the two vehicles and had no idea if they saw me. A few more left turns crossing traffic and I was out of the city. The back half was hilly with a long descent. As I approached the single file spot again I was lucky-no racers! Down the sidewalk over the tracks and less then a mile to T2. The course entered the college and there were a few speed bumps. During my warmup I spotted the flatter sections and tried aiming for them but there was a minivan I had to swerve around and almost got tossed off my bike!

T2 was fast as usual. I did not preview the run course and figured it would finish back at the transition like EVERY race I've done. I felt quick and light. It was hot so I paced myself. The course made its way through campus on the sidewalks which was nice and distracting. Some courses are out and back-boring! I really liked the winding and turning of this one. Almost every spectator I passed cheered me on and congratulated me for being the first female. I used that to run faster but also pushed it out of my head. They didn't realize I was in the first of three female waves so I may not have been completing the course the fastest.

There were no mile markers so I really couldn't tell where I was on course. I could sense the finish line getting closer. Steve yelled one mile to go just around the pond. Around the pond I thought to myself? That doesn't seem right! The finish was no where near the start area. I passed a few guys going around the pond and finally saw the finish. I sprinted past the line as hard as I could. It was awhile before the next female finished. I was hoping to jump in the river to cool off but it was nowhere to be seen. We were far from the start area. My friend Armand finished a few minutes behind me and he agreed how hot it was!

I drank my recovery drink and elevated my legs. The awards and food were set up near the finish. They had lots of great snacks. The results were posted- I was first!! I always look at the next female- she was 8 minutes behind me. That's never happened no matter where I've finished. It felt pretty awesome! 

 

Most races don't have a podium for winners to stand on most don't call up the top three for each age group for pictures but this one did and I was very excited to get up there. The announcer, the awards and the podium were in three totally different spots. They started announcing top female and top male before the awards were ready to be given out. The announcer immediately moved on to age group winners before I got my award, so no podium shot for me. I did get some pretty sweet prizes though. A granite brick, honey, gift card and a $220 heart rate monitor! I made sure the top guy hung around for pics after. And I got my podium shot!