Columbia Sprint Triathlon

I am starting this out backwards today.  A huge thank you to all of the peeps that make my racing possible.  My sponsors are a HUGE support, wouldn’t be able to do this w/o them so please support them by checking out my sponsors page and using them if you have a need.   My hubby and family, they help keep me sane when I’m at my breaking point and try to understand my need to continue this lifestyle.  My friends, wow, I really have some great ones.  Only good friends (Jeff) would travel to a race w/you just to watch your child so you don’t miss time w/him.  Only good friends (Sarah) would stay w/you while hubby travels just so you can get a swim in.  Only good friends (Phil) would sell out their children to be a 5am babysitter!  Jeff, Sarah, and Phil (really Alex) you guys have helped more than you know over the past 6 weeks while Heath has been traveling and left me as a single parent during the work week.  I’ve got to give Heath props, he’s been handling being out of town well and atleast it’s almost over!

The Columbia Sprint tri is a 500 meter swim, 10 mile bike, and 3 mile (not quite) run.  The swim is 50 meter pool lengths which is nice.  The bike is a 3 loop crit style bike course, rolling hills just like the run.  I like this race, and find the bike course fun.  I’m all about a technical course, makes it exciting.  The only bad part is this was my 3rd week in a row racing and it was also the end of my 3rd build week in training.  The day before was spent riding and running  4 hours all together, so it’s not like I tapered.  If you like to race it’s possible to race a lot you just have to be smart on how you do it.  Thanks to forrest we made a few adjustments and I got my long run in earlier in the week.

The early morning started about 4:45, and I wasn’t perky AT ALL.  The drive to Columbia consisted of me trying not to fall asleep and fighting the temptation to slam on the brakes just to wake Sarah up in the backseat.  Good thing Addison was back there w/her or else we’d had a different outcome.  Morning’s always get away from me when AJ’s w/me at a race.  I tend to want to play w/him and not focus on the task at hand, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.  I realize it’s almost race time as Jeff, Sarah, Addison, and I wander into the pool.  I even kid w/Sarah it’s a good thing I just geled b/c I might just sit on the sidelines and spectate!  About that time I shake myself into reality and start to focus.  I line up according to my number only to be belittled by the 12 year old (could’ve been 5 or 16 for all I knew) in front of me, he continued to belittle me throughout the race.  I’m almost up, the music’s got me pumped, and they yell at me to go.  I stand there for a second, and like deer in headlights I looked at Kelli and say NOW?!  Yes, go Nicole!  I have no idea why I did this, maybe I was too in the zone…

The swim starts out good, I kept the goggles (love my hydrobat’s) on during the running dive.  Score 1 for me!!!  I felt like I was building and going smooth, not outright racing.  I was ok w/this though, I’ve not found my speed in my swims yet or my comfort so as long as it’s smooth I’ll take it.  I was even able to flip turn which wasn’t an option for the whole race last weekend.  The last length was kind of funny b/c I kept hearing Jeff yell at me as he was right next to the pool taking pictures.  I wonder what Addison was doing during this time….good thing he was strapped in the stroller before I left him!  I came out of the water 2 seconds slower than last week, but I didn’t really care.  I just tried to make my way to transition sprinting to make up for it!

T1 doesn’t go as quickly as I’d liked, I guess the focus wasn’t where it should’ve been, but I attempt to let it go.  I exit T1 and hit my lap button on the garmin so it knows to switch to bike mode.  I start the bike (uphill) and just want to hammer it out.  I get about 22 seconds into the bike and accidently hit lap again.  SON OF A BANKER!!!  Now, I will have no speed/cadence/anything to register during my bike.  Oh well, it is a sprint so it does mean go as hard as you can anyway.  I let the frustration go and just pounded out the miles.  The bike felt good and strong, the hills still hurt but I was having fun.  I manage to pass the kid who started before me, all while grinning to myself.  Yes, I’m that obnoxious at times!  I’m only human.  One more lap to go, and I’m done w/this pain, that’s what I kept thinking.  I roll into T2, and automatically press lap again w/o even thinking.  Now it’s switched to run mode and I’m not even in transition yet!  Ugh!!! That’s the nicest word I can repeat.  Now I won’t know my distance or true mile splits.  Oh well, FAILURE!  j/k!  I do slap myself a few times and repeat to myself it’s a sprint, it doesn’t matter!  The run actually felt better than last week.  Thanks to my Lunar Racers I was going sockless and my feet didn’t feel as heavy as last week.  The hills did get me though, the turnaround had an aide station and not only did I take water I walked when I had a sip.  Shhh!!! Don’t tell anyone.  Once I started back I felt refreshed though.  I yelled at Sarah, and just reminded myself what goes up must come down.  I forgot about the bridges going up though.  Around mile 2 I got passed like I was standing still.  The darn kid was back to redeem himself.  HOLY CROW!  See, this is what happens when you secretly grin to yourself as you pass someone.  God smiles back down at you and serves you some humble pie.  The last mile is pure torture; there are stairs and a gradual climb that never ends.  I wanted to walk so bad, but no, I manned up and just tried to slow down a little.  I rounded the last corner and see the finish chute and I’m so happy.  My workout for the day is almost done.  I was giving it everything I had, but the small hill to the finish got me and this girl had more kick then I did.  I got passed in the last minute by someone in my age group.  Good for her, I certainly didn’t have anything left.  I finish, look down, and see that my lunar racers are certainly broken in.  The back of the left one is covered in blood.

The best part of this race was having my son there.  I didn’t miss anything due to racing or training, I had him there and that makes my day totally awesome.  I PR’d from last year’s race by almost 2 minutes.  I finished 5th overall female and 2nd in my age group.  Sarah placed in her age group, and Alex North (early morning babysitterJ) placed in her age group as well.  Oh, and Jeff returned Addison after the race fully in tact!  Sidenote to Katie Malone, same time same place next year, and Addison will still be rolling in the stroller!  hehehe

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