Timberman 70.3 Race Report

Last year at Timberman 70.3 I was dealing with a slow healing hip injury and opted to compete in just the swim-bike portion.  It was very hard to drop out after the bike in 2012 but I knew it was the right thing to do.  It definitely left me wanting revenge and to prove to myself that I was a stronger more durable athlete than I was one year ago.  I was extremely excited to return to my hometown course and really give it a go.  I was also prepared to take some chances this year as I was already qualified for Vegas and this race would be a good indicator of fitness.

Because of the excellent race organization, challenging course and large prize purse ($50,000) Timberman always attracts a strong field.  This year was no different and attracted the likes of Andy Potts, Terenzo Bezzone, Leon Griffin, Amanda Stevens and Melissa Hauschilt as well as many other strong pros which would make for some fast racing!

The day before the race I had my traditional gluttonous pancake breakfast with Danny and my sister Deidre. We then rolled ourselves to the pre race meeting and pro panel. I was honored to take part in the panel and it was great fun to joke around with the Melissa and Amanda. Two very humble and very fast girls.

I had a great "homestay" with my friends Audra and Alex. Alex made me the best dinner before the race and for that I owe him big time.  Thanks so much you two!

Race morning snuck up fast - (I dealt with my usual race night insomnia...Anyone out there have any ideas how to fix that?) - and before I knew it I was chugging some coffee and getting ready to DO WORK.

SWIM: 27:17

The video below is worth watching. Stroke for stroke this is how the swim went down. I somehow landed myself smack dab between super swimmers Mandy McLane and Miranda Tomenson.  And let me repeat: I was in the middle.  Lots of time for the little menace to strike again.  I would swim into Miranda, over-correct and swim into Mandy, say sorry under water, over correct and swim into Miranda.  Oops.

The menace

Except for the feeling of claustrophobia throughout the entire swim I was happy with how relaxed and strong I felt. I was also confident Mandy and Miranda would swim quick which meant minimal thinking and guess work on my part.  And as far as I'm concerned the less thinking I have to do, the better.

Bike:  2:29:01

HOLY MOLY!  My bike legs are slowly coming around. This was a big step in the right direction.  Lot's of credit goes out to this guy:

See that blood on his face?  He means business.

And lot's of credit goes out to these guys from MC CYCLES:

See that Aero helmet and moped?  He means business.

See that intensity he has during flip cup?  He means business.

And so I was determined to be all business on the bike.  I was frustrated with my performance in Germany. I know I am a better athlete then the one that showed up on that particular race day. However, I've come to realize that you can't always predict when you are going to have a not so great race. No matter how hard you train, sometimes you just have an off day. I had an off day in Frankfurt but I did NOT let it get me down. I know that one bad race doesn't define you and it really is all about the journey.  Onward!

I started the bike feeling a bit nauseous but kept the positive thoughts flowing. After 20 minutes I had my game face on and was rolling along on the speedy Felt going back and forth with Mandy and eventually Miranda.  I love a good hometown course because I know every bump and turn and hill. Keeping the speed rolling into and out of the turns is hugely beneficial in saving watts but keeping up speed.

I actually felt strong enough to charge on a flat section. This never happens to me. Flat sections are this little midget's nemesis.

Pulling away on the flat. What!?

I did feel a tinge of remorse charging on the flat because Mandy was fighting a great battle with me but I also knew she could run so I was actually excited to get a few minutes on her entering T2.

Head down charging.

And in case you were wondering, I am indeed aero in the above picture. As Kurt will point out: the pointy end of my helmet is much smaller than my head. So head tucked = good aero position. And head tucked is especially good if you have an exceptionally large melon.

RUN: 1:27:17

First things first, I would like to give a shout out to my lead biker. What an awesome volunteer. She absolutely made my day.  I needed her words of encouragement because I had so many bad thoughts popping up in my head. I would be cruising along and then think: On no! Look how fast the girls are running behind you.  I spent the entire run trying to think positive and stay focused. I was pushing as hard as I could and I could only hope it would be enough.  There were so many people out on the course giving me words of encouragement and Danny and Ry were giving me splits that were also encouraging as I was slowly catching Amanda Stevens.

I finally hit the last mile and breathed a sigh of relief. I was confident I had secured 3rd female and that was a great feeling on a hometown course.

Ow!

At this particular moment in time I thought it would be appropriate to clap for myself. Not sure what I was thinking.

Amanda, Amber, Melissa

Overall the race was a big step in the right direction and makes me even more excited for VEGAS BABY!  2 weeks!

DO WORK

I am happy to report I took the overall female win and broke the course record this past weekend at Top Notch Triathlon. This event is great fun and anyone looking for a challenge should mark the date on their calendar for next year. The event starts with the bike which is half road and half mountain style, transitions to a beautiful swim across Echo Lake and finishes with a quad busting run up Cannon (mountain goat style). 

Overall I felt very strong the entire day which was a pleasant surprise because this was a non taper event. The morning started with showers but as the seconds ticked down to start the sun starting poking through and it got warm!  As soon as the gun went off and I charged to the front hoping to pocket some time because there was a 100% chance I would be losing ground as soon as I entered the woods. I’m not only awful at mountain biking I’m actually quite the menace.  

And this is how the  mountain bike portion went down:  attempt to bunny hop a rock, fail, scream like a child, fall off the bike, curse, fumble to get back on,  pedal like hell to make up time, face plant, curse, mount the darn bike again, inadvertently get in someone’s way, apologize, pedal pedal pedal to try and catch said person,  hit a rock, nose dive over the handle bars, face plant, and curse.  If nothing else, my spastic riding gets the heart rate going which turned out to be a good thing. Historically, I have had great swims post spaz-attacks and this year was no different. I called out one last curse and hurled myself into the water like a crazy amazon lady.  I noticed my arm turnover was fast and my catch was strong. I exited the water in 15 overall and also was lucky enough to break the female swim course record.  Who would have thought riding like a goon could help your swim stroke?

The hill run was what I was looking forward to all day because this is where I am in my element. My secret dream is that all Ironman will someday end in a 26.2 mile UPHILL run. J  I smiled at the awesome crowd as they cheered me on and informed me I was first girl. I jumped into my ZOOT SHOES and charged up the hill. 

Right off the bat I felt strong. I passed a few guys and found myself in 10^th overall. My breathing was steady and my legs were ready to charge.  I was running with a great guy who I later learned was a talented Nordic ski racer and we kept encouraging each other through labored gasps the entire way.   The percent grade was relentless but I’m pleased that I kept the pace up and was able to run the entire grind except for about 30 seconds during the rocky scree section.  I crossed the line with the run course record, overall female course record, and and 6^th  human overall. The first person I congratulated at the finish was my great friend Ryan Kelly who took 2^nd overall and bested the guys course record!  

To date, my season has been full of pleasant surprises and I am surpassing many of my goals.  Because of this, numerous people have approached me and asked me what I have done differently in my training this year.  And my answer is: NOTHING. I have changed nothing and this is a great thing.   The secret is this: I have an outstanding coach who I believe in 100%.  I have been fortunate enough to be amazingly consistent in my training, I have a wonderfully supportive husband  and I have great, great training partners.  I can count on one hand how many workouts I have missed in the past 3 years.   I have put my head down and have been consistent day after day;  5 hour trainer rides, pool workouts that make the lungs scream, stupid long bike rides in the rain and early morning long runs with the stomach and the legs revolting.  I believe that if I am consistently strong and I push through the sub par workouts and the lactic acid  and bottle up all the positive energy I get from nailing workouts  I never thought I would get though, I believe that I will surpass even my wildest dreams...   

Up next: Timberman 70.3!!  

Vegas bound and Ich Lieben Germany!

I will rewind a bit to June and my 5^th 70.3 of the season: Mont Tremblant 70.3.  I went into the race a bit tired because the weeks leading up went down like this: 

Race three 70.3's to chase Vegas points

Jump into training for Ironman Frankfurt 

Race a 70.3 to chase Vegas points

Right back in the saddle training for Ironman Frankfurt

Race a 70.3 to chase Vegas points

DO WORK.

There was no doubt I had accrued a bit of fatigue in the legs but I also felt myself getting stronger and I really needed one last solid 70.3 to solidify my spot to the World Championships in September. 

Overall Mont Tremblant was great fun.  The race kicked off with a bag-piper, a cannon and what I thought were fireworks (but that last part could have been in my head.)  I fought hard in the swim and found myself in good position heading out onto the bike. The bike course was beautiful and green which took my mind off the lack of power my little quads were able to push.  I struggled the entire race and was proud that I was at least able to fight off all the mental demons that were thrown my way.  When Christine Fletcher caught and passed me on the bike she offered some words of encouragement: "Don't worry Amber you will get off the bike and run some people down today."  And this is one of the many examples why I feel so lucky to be racing pro along side these awesome women.  I feel honored to call so many of them my friends. We push each other to the limit on the race course but in the end I can honestly say I love to see them succeed as much as I love to succeed.    When all was said and done, I raced myself to 4^th on very tired legs but managed to get stronger as the race went on.  Even though I view 4^th as the cruelest finishing spot in endurance racing I have to admit I was content with the placing as I stayed mentally tough the entire day.  I was also stoked to see the powerhouse Linsey Corbin dominate the field after dealing with injury.  Come backs like that are truly inspiring.   

In the end, Mont tremblant is a spectacular venue.  They absolutely embraced the Ironman which is important as they will host a staggering 4 world class races next year: a 5150 in June, a 70.3 in June, Ironman in August and the WOLRD CHAMPIONSHIPS for 70.3 in September! I am absolutely stoked for the change in venue for 70.3 and think that it will be a fabulous place to host a world championship race.

Amber, Magali, Linsey, Annie

So with my spot to Vegas solidified I went into Germany with nothing to lose. I knew deep down I was a bit tired but I was very excited to race my first full Ironman of the season and test out the old diesel engine.

We arrived in Germany on Tuesday via a red eye. Germany is 6 hours ahead of us and even though Dan and I were exhausted we made the executive decision to stay up and explore the city.  Like 2 little zombies we walked around Frankfurt and soon stumbled upon the beer gardens. It was a beautiful night on the river and with the excitement of being in a new country, the good beer and the fun atmosphere we perked right back up.

The next few days were filled with castle hunting in Heidelberg and Darmstadt and then an ancient bathing experience at Baden Baden. This involved hot tubs, cold tubs, german scrub downs, steam rooms and herbal aroma steam vaults.  It was slightly nerve wracking in the beginning until you embrace the sans clothing community bathing experience.

6 pretzels, 3 helpings of sauerkraut, 3 castles, and one big 'ole scrub down later it was Friday morning and I was getting blood drawn for the doping control pre race.  Next up was the race meeting in which I quickly realized I was not in Kansas anymore. The Europeans just seem to bring more intensity to everything and everything about the race had a world championship feel.

Swim: 52:14

Oh yeah! I swam aggressively in the beginning got in a good group of german guys and rode the draft to the finish. The transition started with a uphill sand climb and like lickety split I was well into the bike course.

Bike: 5:18

The bike was double loop style complete with teeth chattering cobblestone, winding roads, switch backs, sweeping turns, hay bails (in case you misjudged a sweeping turn), steep downhills, and steep uphills with crazy German fans who understand bike racing. It was Tour de France style!  

The basic truth about riding on cobblestones is the uneven surface KILLS your speed and forward momentum.  On cobblestones there is no place to hide, if you don't pull up your big girl panties and pedal hard and aggressively you might as well dismount the bike and walk home.  This is the place to apply some brute power.  And this is why I came to race in Europe. Test myself on a very difficult course against tough as nails competition.  I can't say I am master of the cobblestones but I will be back!

The bike course proved to be relentless and to throw another monkey wrench in the mix every time I asked for gatorade on the bike I got VASSER!  (Water!) Maybe it was the language barrier or maybe the Europeans are too tough for that silly electrolyte mix.  I kept thinking to myself okay time to problem solve. I love problem solving. So with sans gatorade I was force to ingest more GU's to get some sodium in.  And just before I turned into a little pot belly pig stuffed with far too many GU's I was gladly handing my bike to a kind volunteer. 

RUN: 3:30:01

UGH! The run started promising as the first 14 miles I was right on 7:15 pace. I had the pleasure of running with the speedy Charisa Wernick for awhile and we seemed to be rolling right along. And then something happened. Maybe the lack of gatorade/calories caught up with me but my leg turnover came to a screeching halt.  The one thing that saved me from cry baby status was Danny, Genny, Brando and Kyle and Greg on the side lines cheering their crazy heads off.  The run course was 4 loops around the river which were very populated with fans (and bier gardens!).  As much as I was hurting I was also loving the energy and, truth be told, I really do always enjoy a good solid butt kicking.  And that is what Ironman Frankfurt gifted me.  The last 10K was an absolute death march.  Everything below the waist was seizing and everything above the waist was crumbling.  

 

But the finish line is eventual and before I knew it I was running down the red carpet so happy to be  here!

Lucky number 13th overall

I crossed the line, hugged a volunteer and then my world started to slowly close in on me and moments later I woke up horizontal with a IV.  Oops.

Many FIRSTS in Frankfurt:

1.) first time racing on European soil

2.) first time completing the entire 112 bike portion with only water!

3.) first time on cobblestones

4.) first time hitting the real ironman wall

5.) first time in the med tent 

In the end it was an absolute adventure and I would jump at the chance to go back. I raced as hard as I could, learned a lot and feel even more motivated to tackle the second half of the season. And just to clarify, the second half of my season kicks off with a midseason break.  And let me tell you I am mastering the sleeping in, legs up, dessert indulging days. 

Eaglemen 70.3 - That was unexpected!

I want to start this blog by sending out my thoughts and prayers to Meredith Kessler who was leading the 2013 Eagleman 70.3 until she crashed and suffered a concussion. I am a huge mbk fan and she is without a doubt one of the toughest, most talented and gracious female pros on the circuit. I wish her a speedy recovery and I know she will bounce back stronger than ever.

Eagleman 70.3 would be epic this year as my 2 sisters and cousin were competing and my Mom, Dad, Uncle, Brother-in-law and husband would all be on the sidelines cheering their crazy heads off.

I was extra nervous heading into this race because I was chasing some much needed Vegas points (in a crazy stacked pro field) and I also wanted my 2 sisters and cousin to have awesome races.  I flew into Maryland on Thursday afternoon and my bro-in-law scooped me up from the airport and as soon as the one and only Nugget (a.k.a Genny White) arrived home we headed out for an early dinner. It was the most relaxing pre-race arrival I have had this year and I think this helped me with that extra gear on race day.

We filled the pre race days with oyster eating (!), pancake eating and relaxing.

Race day arrived quickly and before I knew it I was running over to check on Genny in transition and make sure she was good to go. She had everything under control and seemed to be ready to race fast (which she did, by the way!).

I went through my normal pre race routine which included fiddling with my helmet - putting in on and taking it off like a gazillion times to make sure it fit OK and then going for a easy jog to get the blood pumping. The heat and humidity really got me sweating which was all good until I tried to squeeze myself into the Zoot Prophet.  Whoa! Now I know what a sausage feels like.  Fifteen painful minutes later which included swearing, breath holding and more swearing I managed to complete the simplest yet most tear-evoking task of the day.

I made it into the suit!

Swim - 28:29 (Not my best but the swim was confirmed as long and also was very choppy and HOT!)

I spotted Meredith and super swimmer Robin Sandos on the start line and positioned myself right next to them. The gun when off and immediately I felt strong and fluid. I found myself swimming stroke for stroke with Robin feeling like the pace was easy and relaxed. I made a move to try and bridge the gap to Tenille and after 5 minutes of this effort I went from feeling relaxed to absolutely boiling in my wetsuit. I quickly weighed my options and because I wanted to avoid lobster- in-the-pot status I let off the throttle and tucked in behind Robin. For the rest of the swim I shared her feet with Rinny and managed to bring the HR and body temp back down a bit.  

I sprinted through transition hot on Rinny, Sandos and Serpico's heels. I promised myself I would not lose them as I wanted a group to key off during the bike.  

Serpico, Carfrea and my backside (sorry!)

I had one of my best transitions, hopped on the Felt and was able to keep Rinny in sight. She charged out of the gate and I put my head down and was determined to close the gap. After 30 minutes of TT effort I finally was within 10 bike lengths of her, then 9, then 8 and then she did something unexpected and sat up for a quick second to get a drink. Because there was a referee by us the ENTIRE ride I was forced to pass the World Champion. Oh boy.  I immediately doubted myself. Was I riding too fast? Was I destined to implode?  But something funny happened after that pass.  I actually felt great. I looked down at my Garmin and my watts were right on target. I felt smooth and aero and fast. I thought of all the tips my coach taught me and that was to GO FAST on LESS WATTS, tuck your head, get aero and stay that way, keep the speed going into and out of the turns.  Rinny ended up passing me back and we would go back and forth with also Serpico in the mix until about mile 45 when I decided that I was feeling so good that today was the day that I would take a big chance on the bike. I put my head down and made a charge. I pretended that I was on a training ride and that I was chasing my great friend Ryan Kelly.  Ten minutes later I gave a rare look back and I was gaining ground. Holy moly! I actually made a move and it worked! Sweet Jalissa!  

I spent the rest of the ride thinking fast thoughts for my cousin and 2 sisters who were out there fighting their own personal battles.

Before I knew it I was cruising into transition (through the mud pit!) in seventh and heard Danny and my Dad yelling from the sidelines about the situation up ahead of me. Turns out Susan Serpico, Sarah Piampiano, and Tenille Hoogeland were all within striking distance. I caught Susan and we exchanged good jobs and then I charged on.  I fought to keep Sarah in sight which proved difficulty as she was cruising. My first 4 miles were 6:09, 6:15, 6:08, 6:10 and Sarah was pulling away from me!  I willed myself to stay strong and to not give up.  As we neared the 5th water stop I decided to try and open it up for just 3 minutes. The move worked and I got close enough to Sarah and heard her call out for ice. I opted to skip the aid station to try and open up a gap and again worked!  I was lucking out! :) Now I was on the hunt for 4th place.  I saw Tenille off in the distance and made a silent goal to try and pass her before the turn around.  Just under one mile later I found myself in 4th!  Angela, Laura and Jenna then passed me in the opposite direction (they were in 1st, 2nd and 3rd place) at the turnaround and they all looked super strong and were about 4.5 minutes ahead of me.  I knew there was a slim chance I would catch 3rd if she kept running like that so I was now in protection mode. DO NOT give up 4th place.  I hit the turn around and saw the hungry hounds behind me! AH! Move the little legs!  The tides had turned and now I  was running scared.

Arm swing, leg turnover, arm swim, leg turnover. The aid stations were great and fueled my fire!  I put my head down and did some work. At 10.5 miles  I saw Danny and my Dad. They were jumping up and down and yelling "45 seconds to 3rd!" Holy Moly!!!!  That got the adrenaline going.  I surged for 20 seconds and around the bend was Jenna. I decided right then and there to make a move because my legs did NOT have a sprint finish in them.

I moved into third at mile 11 and ran like mad to the finish.

 My Dad and Danny greeted me at the finish. I was so happy!  A hard effort on a hot day with some big Vegas points as a bonus :)

The energy after the race was high. I ate, changed clothes and then got back on my bike and cheered my cousin and 2 sisters to the finish. I was impressed how strong they all looked and really did ROCK it in a big way!

Eagleman 70.3 is a great race and I will definitely be back next year. May even make it a dirty double with Raleigh 70.3 the weekend before like my crazy friend Beth Shutt. :)

St. George 70.3 : Keep on Chipping Away

St. George 70.3 is absolutely gorgeous! (Just as a disclaimer the pictures I have do not even come close to doing it justice.)  A championship field on the most ferociously fierce course I have every raced: A perfect Championship venue!

We started the day in the 59 degree water of Sand Hollow State Park in Hurricane Utah.  I got a good warm up in ( I was secretly doing a little jig in my neoprene because I love cold water!)  The normal jostling at the line went down and when all was said and done I found myself perfectly positioned next to Kelly Williamson. The gun went off and I went to work keeping Williamson's feet in sight. Everything was falling into place until someone took a 90 degree angle and swam right over me. What!? Ha! I had to laugh to myself. Now this is more like the water brawl I remember. Ironman never disappoints.  I managed to recover from this and grab hold of the chase pack. It was a perfect position to be in but the work in the water today felt hard. Every stroke felt like effort. And I'm learning, that at times that's just how it goes.  Racing makes you tougher. Especially if you're constantly having to dig!

Swim Venue - Gorgeous!

I exited the water in 26:55. Not bad, but the effort it took to get me there felt too high. I tried to think positively and get myself out of transition to chase down some girls I had in sight.

I actually felt great during the start of the bike. I eventually caught the speedy Jess Smith and we rode back and forth for the majority of the course.  The bike course is absolutely perfect.  It's super hill and has enough twists and turns to keep things interesting. It's a fair course that you can actually gain major momentum on if you're having a strong day. At around mile 35 Lesley Patterson caught us and the Scottish rocket brought the riding up a level. She is such a beast on the hills and it was fun to chase her up through the winding Snow Canyon.  I stole the below pics right from google image. But this was the one race where I was wishing I had brought a camera ;)

I can't really explain what happened on the bike but I was lacking a little zip in my legs. I felt flat. My mind kept saying "push!" but my quads were not having it.  Overall my bike
was decent but I wish I could have been a bit more aggressive out there.  I have to admit, my bike has come a long way. All in all, with the beautiful scenery and wonderfully fierce competition - how could I complain?

And while I was out on my bike Dan had turned all Mountain Goat on me. I would hear my name and look up only to see Dan on the side of a cliff! What the?! How in the heck did he get there?

The way I felt towards the end of the bike I was thinking: this run is going to be an adventure for sure. However, as soon as I put on my  lime green Zoot Kiawes on I felt like I was flying! Maybe it was all in my head but those shoes make me feels light and fast!  And if you're wondering if the run course had hills the answer would be NO: It had MOUNTAINS. It was just silly.

Umm, yeah.

I was able to pull off some 6:20s on the flattish sections but those were few and far between.  This was hands down the hardest run course I have every done.  But once again, very pretty.  So we forgive you race director.  You're not that evil. ;)

To sum it up, I had to fight tooth and nail for just an OK result.  I was slightly disappointed when I crossed the line because I KNEW that if I had biked a few minutes faster and ran just a couple minutes faster I would have been nipping on the heals of top 10.  But that is what you get in a field which is absolutely chock full of World Champions and Olympians.  The positives: I closed very strong today and I need to LEARN to accept those races and those training days when the work doesn't come easy.  Learn from them, recover up and then move on.  And the St. George crowd support was AWESOME. It's days like these where I reminded most that what I do is not a pursuit of a selfish goal, but an exciting journey that allows me to motivate, inspire and encourage others.  

Homestay and Me and Svenla Bazlen (2nd Female Pro!)

Next up is Eagleman with my whole family!  I will have a solid month to put in a good training block. And I need it because as like to put it, when God was handing out biking skills I was over in the corner picking my nose. However, when he was handing out work ethic I was front of the line. So after I rest up from St. George it's back to the old training game because I'm just getting started!

Quabbin Reservoir Bike Race: Wits Not Watts.

For my birthday weekend I decided to race the Quabbin Reservoir 65 mile bike race.  The venue was absolutely beautiful and the race was so outrageously fun it got me wondering why I hadn't done this before.

Of course I tried to enter as a PRO with my PRO triathlon license but apparently you can't do that in cycling. So I was forced to race Cat 4.  This was all well and good except now that I was the newbie in the sport (and causing a raucous) it was imperative that I avoid newbie cycling embarrassment. So, I got down to business in the parking lot before the race start. I took out my new Felt F4 and gave it a good look over.  First things first; remove the reflectors.  After that was done I went after the cassette guard (until I realized you needed a knife to take that darn thing off.  A knife, or you needed to remove your entire cassette.)  Hmmm.  The male pro next to me looked handy and I asked if he could help. He hastily threw me some pliers and Dan was able to saw the cassette guard off...one plastic thread at a time.

Felt F4 sans reflectors and cassette guard! That's at least a 20 watt gain!  I was psyched and ready to go. The sun was warm as the race director gave us our last instructions.  The female PRO/Cat 3 went off 5 minutes prior to my Cat 4 wave, which was also the last wave of the day.  I felt relaxed but also had a secret goal of catching that pro wave...

Cycling has this really cool thing called a "Neutral Start."  Meaning, when the gun goes off your wave just casually soft pedals along until the real "start" of the race. So basically you just chat it up with your neighbor, position yourself, and enjoy life. As we all relaxed down the long descent I was thinking: HELLO IRONMAN...can we all agree to have a Neutral Ironman Start?  As much as I love the barbaric water brawl at the start of a 140 mile journey, my heart rate does not.

As the descent plateaued we rounded a corner and...BOOM! Like a cannon we are off. NO more nice girls I guess.  My mantra for the race was something my coach had texted me that morning: BIKE RACES ARE WON ON WITS, NOT WATTS.

I promised myself I would follow his advice and behave.  After all, this was my first bike race and I had no teammates to lean on.  I found myself in the middle of the pack repeating: Bike races are won on wits, not watts.  Bike races are won on wits, not watts. Bike races are won on wits, not watts.  And then after about the third repeat I realized that I was quite bored. I looked down at my Garmin: I was exactly 3 minutes into the race. That's it! I can't take it anymore! I wiggled my way up to the front and didn't look back. I justified this bonehead move by remembering at the last second that I don't necessarily have an excessive amount of watts but I do have even less wits.

So there I was. At the pointy front of my first bike race. Pulling the pack like a little donkey.

I actually played some games and tried really hard not to let people pass. Dumb move.

And then I tried standing on the flats to see if I could break away. Dumber move.

And then I tried sprinting every hill. What a dumb dumb I am!

However, around mile 42 (just when I was about to implode) I got a glance of someone I knew up ahead. It was Dan! That gave me enough energy to surge on and when I looked back again it was just me and three others girls. All 3 of use were able to really work together. It was so much fun to lead and then follow and zip around the corners and fly down the flat stretches with these girls. So many surges and red line efforts but at the same time really feeling like I was working as a team. Around mile 50 the race director drove up along side our little pack and informed us that we were within minutes of catching the Pro girls. That news got the juices flowing. Even more so than the 2 Cherry Lime GU's I had just inhaled. Now this was really turning into a race!  Our little group put our heads down and pushed!  In about 10 minutes we caught and passed and road away from the Pro group. From then on it was head down and no more fun and games. Get me to the finish line.

The race was totally meant for me as it ended with a 3 mile stretch uphill. There were numerous occasions where I tried to stand and sprint but my little ham-hocks had had enough. It ended with a sprint (kind of) to the finish and I ended up getting edged at the line.

Did I tell you that bike racing is awesome!? Well it's about to get more awesome.  When you finish, you walk/crawl to this RV/mobile home and some lady comes out and hands you cold hard cash. And then you go home. No waiting around for awards, no filling out W4 forms. Show up, bike hard, RV, $, home.

The day would have ended if I was a pure cyclist, but I'm not. So I changed into my running shoes and headed out for a nice little jog:

 And then it was off to go play some birthday mini golf which also served as a wonderful way to deal with getting nipped at the line... Happy Gilmore Style:

Next up: US PRO CHAMPIONSHIPS in St. George UTAH. May 4, 2013.

Oceanside 70.3 Race Report

I love going to Oceanside for the North American season opener for many reasons. First, the weather is absolutely perfect and a little on the chilly side (good for me). I get to see all my sponsors and my west coast family (Jim Johnson and PJ!).  This year my Uncle Larry was also stationed at Camp Pendleton before he was due to leave for Afghanistan.  The one caveat: I had to pack all this craziness into a 2.5 day adventure.  I was excited for the busy weekend and also a wee bit nervous due to the amount of racing/meetings/sponsor obligations I had ahead of me.

West Coast Family!

And did I mention the tremendously STACKED field?  I did a double take in the pro meeting - holy talent!  But I love a good race and the fastest women in the sport are really raising the bar....and slowly gaining on the men :)

I was absolutely ready to race and felt like I had something to prove after running like a little bit of a turd in San Juan.  So game on.

Day 1: (Let the chaos begin) Danny and I arrived the night before the race and just made the pro meeting. Immediately after, Ry helped me put my bike together, we spun out our legs making sure nothing was clicking or clucking and then it was time for dinner with my Uncle Larry and then off to bed. I didn't even have time to get nervous! I slept like a baby and, thanks to the time change, woke before my alarm feeling like I was ready to ROLL!

I got to transition about 2 hours too early which is what I prefer. I set up my area and was excited to rock my new Zoot kit.  Zoot has been the most amazing sponsor- I can't thank them enough.  They make amazing products and are absolutely dedicated to the sport.

And every race after this I will be sporting the PBM coaching addition:

5:30am: Clarification: I was in transition 2 hours before everyone else because I. am. neurotic. However, the time went by quickly. Before I knew it I was lining up for the swim. This time I promised myself to not lose the front pack. Actually I repeated it over and over to deal with my nerves. We were able to enter the water exactly three minutes prior to the start of the race. So considering it takes me about 3 seconds to say "do no lose the front pack" I got in a good 60 repetitions.  Neurotic.

The second after the cannon sounds the world seems to go completely silent and this ONE second seems to take so long, which I guess is good because then the craziness starts; flailing arms, white water, do no lose the front pack!  Just as a disclaimer I apologize for those that may have suffered black eyes/broken noses. It was an ugly swim. Every time I would bump someone I would say "I'm sorry!" underwater and then every time I got punched back I would growl. And that was the cycle for the 24 minute swim. But I did it!  I stayed in the front back and ran through transition with Paterson, Carfrae, Wurtele and a few others.

I had a solid transition, clicked my Garmin 910xt and jumped aboard the Felt DA.  Hands down the two best pieces of equipment I own.  I am stealing this quote from one of my Zoot teammates but in regards to the Felt: "As far as cycling goes, if you have the RIGHT bike you can be even faster. Contrary to what a formerly respected cyclist one claimed, to some degree, it is about the bike." Well, maybe the bike and the coach.  And maybe the quads too. :)

However, as much as I love that bike, sometimes the riding just doesn't come easy. And let me tell you, the first 10 miles the race this dude passed me:

Mr. Turtle 

I was honestly questioning my decision to race again just 2 short weeks after San Juan.  I couldn't get comfortable on the bike, my quads were cramping, my back was seizing.  I tried riding the nose of the saddle, then sliding back, than cinching up on the aero bars and then laying out.  Nothing worked. I was just shy of a screaming a four letter word but instead I did the only other thing I could think of.  This was to repeat over and over: "Amber, if its tough, it's good for you!" So considering it takes me 3 seconds to say, "Amber if it's tough, it's good for you" I got in a good 3000 repetitions on the bike. I'm a special kid.

I also concentrated on cadence and staying aero and thinking fast thoughts. Around repetition number 984 Mel McQuaid caught me. She is such a strong, powerful rider and I knew she would be battling like heck to get back up to the pointy end of the race.  What a fighter she is and with that she inspired me to just go!  I was back in the game! Like magic my quads started to come around and I refused to let her out of my sight.  Before I knew it I caught and passed three more girls.  We were now at the hilly section and this is where I come alive!  I have been on the trainer all winter (my first outdoor ride was in San Juan) so standing up on the pedals and charging uphill felt great!  I could tell now I was riding fast but also killing my run one pedal stroke at a time.

I came off the bike and immediately saw (and heard!) my husband cheering loudly. I know exactly how well I'm doing depending on the pitch of his voice. His cheers were hovering around 'male soprano' status so I knew I was in the game. I also felt amazingly light on my feet and fresh!? Racing is so perplexing at times...I will take feeling good though.

At the first turn around I spotted Rinny behind me running like she stole something. She had served a 4 minute penalty on the bike so she was charging!  She ended up passing me at mile 8 and I tried in vain to stick with her. I threw all cards in and built to a pace that should have killed me.  I kept her in sight until mile 10 but just couldn't hang.

 

Oceanside run course is great for spectators. I saw and heard my Zoot team and sponsors, Jim Johnson, my Uncle and Danny about 8 times during the run.  I also heard an unidentified spectator yelling from the sidelines: "Kurt says to hurt yourself!"  I focused on form and staying positive and one by one moved up to place 10 overall.

A good feeling to cross that line in 10th.  Solid points for Vegas and more confidence in the durability that is necessary for being a pro triathlete.

Thank you to Zoot, Garmin, GU, PR bar, Fuelbelt, Felt, MC Cycles and, of course this guy:

Next up: US Pro Championships in St. George, Utah.