This morning I thought I was going to Master’s practice.
Turns out I walked into a Middle School dance in the mid 90’s. They have a pretty good sound system at the pool we swim at. I would like to advise the employees on when it’s a good idea to blast C&C Music Factory’s ‘Gonna Make You Sweat’ (Everybody Dance Now) at 5:45am.
NEVER!
Some other highlights included:
PM Dawn (I’d Die Without You)
Janet Jackson (Together Again)
Britney Spears (Baby One More Time)
Boyz II Men (End of the Road)
and - drumroll please...
Milli Vanilli (Blame It On the Rain)
Music aside, it was a nice swim.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Monday, June 8, 2009
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Jordan Lake Challenge - 1 Mile Open Water Swim
Here are results!
Collis and I were manning the 'packet pickup' table and everything went pretty smooth. Some people were irked that they didn't get a t-shirt but that's why it's good to sign up early. We have to put the t-shirt order in at some point and for a race like this, if we have a ton of t-shirts ordered but not paid for, it really eats into any profits.
Marty did the pre-race swim clinic and we actually only started about 15min late, which I thought was pretty good. The water temp ended up being 76, so there were plenty of wetsuits out there, but also a lot of us who didn't wear them.
We saw tons of familiar faces and it was a very low-key, fun event. They started us and the swim itself was pretty uneventful - the Coast Guard was out there overseeing everyone and some people were on surfboards paddling around. I went out steady and tried to pick it up a bit on the way in. I was around people the whole time but it never got too crowded. I got closer to the boat ramp and was getting pretty tired, so kind of put it into a hard tempo effort (whatever that means) and took the last turn toward's the exit; the exit was about 20 yards aways.
Then all of the sudden - ZOOM!! Someone went sprinting SO fast by me...and it was a she! Oh no! When she popped up I realized it was my friend Laura who swims at Master's with us. She had an awesome finish and said when she turned around, "Oh Bri! I had no idea it was you! I drafted the whole last half on you!" That's racing! We finished 1 second apart, so fun!
We both got back in to do a little warm down and I could barely lift my arms at all. I had never felt that much soreness in my lats so quickly. I guess I was pulling hard! My breathing wasn't out of control or anything, just sore muscles.
I waited around for the awards with Collis and Kari and Bobby. Kari beat Bobby and he seemed super excited about the swim he just did :) I think Kari may have a gross post-swim picture of the two of us; hopefully it came out blurry.
Collis and I were manning the 'packet pickup' table and everything went pretty smooth. Some people were irked that they didn't get a t-shirt but that's why it's good to sign up early. We have to put the t-shirt order in at some point and for a race like this, if we have a ton of t-shirts ordered but not paid for, it really eats into any profits.
Marty did the pre-race swim clinic and we actually only started about 15min late, which I thought was pretty good. The water temp ended up being 76, so there were plenty of wetsuits out there, but also a lot of us who didn't wear them.
We saw tons of familiar faces and it was a very low-key, fun event. They started us and the swim itself was pretty uneventful - the Coast Guard was out there overseeing everyone and some people were on surfboards paddling around. I went out steady and tried to pick it up a bit on the way in. I was around people the whole time but it never got too crowded. I got closer to the boat ramp and was getting pretty tired, so kind of put it into a hard tempo effort (whatever that means) and took the last turn toward's the exit; the exit was about 20 yards aways.
Then all of the sudden - ZOOM!! Someone went sprinting SO fast by me...and it was a she! Oh no! When she popped up I realized it was my friend Laura who swims at Master's with us. She had an awesome finish and said when she turned around, "Oh Bri! I had no idea it was you! I drafted the whole last half on you!" That's racing! We finished 1 second apart, so fun!
We both got back in to do a little warm down and I could barely lift my arms at all. I had never felt that much soreness in my lats so quickly. I guess I was pulling hard! My breathing wasn't out of control or anything, just sore muscles.
I waited around for the awards with Collis and Kari and Bobby. Kari beat Bobby and he seemed super excited about the swim he just did :) I think Kari may have a gross post-swim picture of the two of us; hopefully it came out blurry.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Weekend Preview
I just finished some oatmeal and am about to get Marty moving for our long run. We're heading to Umstead to do Turkey Creek, hopefully with some tempo thrown in. Then a short mountain bike ride immediately after. Marty's friend, Collis, is flying in this afternoon for a visit and to do the Jordan Lake Open Water Swim. Marty and Collis both swam at FSU eons ago ;)
The race had over 100 signups when online registration closed the other night! We'll be at Inside Out this evening doing packet pickup from 5-6pm (which really just consists of a cap and t-shirt, but help us out and get your stuff tonight so the morning isn't so busy).
Even though the swim will probably be wetsuit legal, I'm going to go without mine. What?! But I've said on here 20 different times how much I love my wetsuit! That's still true but I think I'll get a much better workout without it, and I already know I swim well in it so it's not like I need that practice. And I'll look like a real swimmer without one :)
The race had over 100 signups when online registration closed the other night! We'll be at Inside Out this evening doing packet pickup from 5-6pm (which really just consists of a cap and t-shirt, but help us out and get your stuff tonight so the morning isn't so busy).
Even though the swim will probably be wetsuit legal, I'm going to go without mine. What?! But I've said on here 20 different times how much I love my wetsuit! That's still true but I think I'll get a much better workout without it, and I already know I swim well in it so it's not like I need that practice. And I'll look like a real swimmer without one :)
Thursday, June 4, 2009
On The Go
Oh my what a busy week it’s been.
We got home Sunday evening and I had some time to unpack and do some laundry. I skipped master’s Monday morning since I had just raced, but from then it’s been nonstop:
Monday
Work
Evening run at Bond Park (6pm)
Coach master’s (7:30pm)
Tuesday
Morning run at Bond Park (6am)
Work
Ride with Alisha
Wednesday
Swim master’s (5:45am)
Work
Run/Swim/Run at Jordan Lake (6pm)
Thursday
No way I could get up this morning for the run at Bond Park – SLEPT!
Work
IOS ride (6pm) barring any storms
Friday
Swim master’s (6am)
Work
Probably run workout
I’m wiped.
We got home Sunday evening and I had some time to unpack and do some laundry. I skipped master’s Monday morning since I had just raced, but from then it’s been nonstop:
Monday
Work
Evening run at Bond Park (6pm)
Coach master’s (7:30pm)
Tuesday
Morning run at Bond Park (6am)
Work
Ride with Alisha
Wednesday
Swim master’s (5:45am)
Work
Run/Swim/Run at Jordan Lake (6pm)
Thursday
No way I could get up this morning for the run at Bond Park – SLEPT!
Work
IOS ride (6pm) barring any storms
Friday
Swim master’s (6am)
Work
Probably run workout
I’m wiped.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Open Water Swim & Pics From Race
Hey all you Triangle people! Don't forget about the 1 mile open water swim at Jordan Lake this Sunday!
Here's the picture Haileigh got of me finishing. She cut my head off a little, but I have a big smile and look like I'm having fun:
Ahh well. Here are some other pics from the race.
Marty getting out of his wetsuit (notice the windsock sticking straight out near his head):
Here's Marty heading into T2:
I will be there pretending to be a swimmer in my pink-plaid Splish suit!
Like I mentioned in my last post, my 10 year old niece took some nice shots at Breezy Point. Much better, in fact, then the ones the professionals took.
Case in point:
Here's her picture of me on the bike. Nice profile view!
And here's their's. Their logo is conveniently placed to make it look like I have a goatee.
Here's the picture Haileigh got of me finishing. She cut my head off a little, but I have a big smile and look like I'm having fun:
And now for the professionals. Tongue out, hand flopping and completely flat flooted. Is this the same girl? (Sadly, yes!)
Ahh well. Here are some other pics from the race.
Marty getting out of his wetsuit (notice the windsock sticking straight out near his head):
Here's Marty heading into T2: 
Me hustling in T2:
Post-race picture with my 4 year old niece. I squatted lower to be next to her and then she decided to squat, too. How low can you go?
Monday, June 1, 2009
Breezy Point Triathlon Race Report
Yesterday Marty and I raced the Breezy Point Triathlon in Norfolk, Virginia (1K swim, 20K bike, 5K run). It’s held on a naval station and it was pretty neat to see all the giant helicopters right next to transition, and finish the race on the airstrip in front of them. This race had a bit of prize money which was an incentive for us to go up there; my sister lives nearby and she graciously lets us stay at her house, and then dragged herself and her daughters out to cheer for us in the early morning. I’m about ready to make her start traveling with us because literally every race she has come to I have won! And this goes back to our time in Florida.
I knew a few of my competitors from doing a couple of races up there now, and also recognized a couple other names from different race results and knew I needed to have a great race to finish near the top. Last week at the fun Woodlake triathlon I purposely dialed back the intensity and used it as a workout because I wanted to be ready to go for Breezy Point. I knew I may need to dig deep and didn’t want to have to go to the well two weeks in a row. That worked perfectly and I had a great time last week and a solid ‘triathlon workout’ but wasn’t sore or that tired afterwards.
Marty and I got to the race site early since you had to drive on base and we didn’t know if there would be backups with them checking ID’s, but it turned out to be a non-issue. There were also a ton of people already at the race site which surprised me since we got there around 6:15 for the 8:00 start! We did our morning race rituals and then realized at 7:30 that the swim area was only open for another 10 minutes, so we hustled down there to get in a little warm up. After getting out of the water I talked with Scott (future bro-in-law) before my wave got ready. I was glad he was there to chat with because I was pretty nervous and he kept my mind off of everything.
Once we got in the water there was confusion and yelling about where the start line was (the one end of the ‘start line’ was way ahead of the other, not sure who came up with that). Then the horn went and the typical mayhem ensued when you start with all the Open men, too. Except since this was an in the water start I didn’t get clobbered like I did last year at Sandman. The swim was 1K in a protected area of the ocean, but it still had a bit of chop and some current so it wasn’t one of our nice, flat, lake swims we get spoiled with here in NC. I took the swim out hard and put a lot of effort into it. My reward was 2nd female out of the water, and my transition had me on my bike with the slightest lead. My swim time was 14:31.
The bike is completely flat with some turns I am too cautious on. It was windy (hence the name, ‘breezy point’) and the roads were way bumpier than I would like. My legs took a bit to get warmed up but they came around quick and I pushed it pretty hard. No bike computer means I’m always a little nervous about how fast I’m going but my breathing (LOUD) reassured me that my effort was high. The second half of the bike smoothed out a bit and had a turnaround where I could gauge my position. Over the years I’m usually the one chasing and it’s a whole different mental battle when you’re in the lead! The girl who came out ahead of me on the swim wasn’t too far back, and the one young girl from Virginia Tech that I knew was fast must not have had a very good swim because I had a really solid lead on her. I relaxed a bit towards the end and I was confident I could hold it together for the run. Bike time was 32:28.
My sister and nieces and Scott’s mom were right there when I got off of my bike and were cheering like crazy. There is nothing cuter than hearing a 4 year old yelling your name! Heather was able to give me my lead (about :40) as I was running out. Even with putting on socks because of my delicate feet :) I had one of the fastest T2's for women.
I started the run and felt pretty good. I quickly caught up to a 19 year old (I think he was the first out of the water) who I had come up on the very end of the bike. He said, “You’re a machine!” which made me laugh. I told him he was doing great and he tucked in right behind me for most of the run. I didn’t mind and he kept me from slacking off. The first mile felt easy and when we turned right after it I found out why – we had a massive tailwind. So now it was a massive headwind. I kept it together for 2+ miles but then started to lose it mentally, and my buddy had fallen back. The last ½ mile is on the seawall (running into the headwind) and I definitely let my pace slide a bit. You could see the finish but it was so far away! My buddy ended up kicking past me with about 100 yards to go, and there was no way I was going to get into a sprint to the finish match with a 19 year old boy! I crossed the line and was pretty tired but overall felt good. Run was 19:30.
Marty is definitely getting back on track and finished 3rd overall. He was the ‘old guy’ in the top 5 and I think he did great. They sure do know how to have a post race party at these events; they held it at a park on base and had tons of food, soda and beer (all free!) They did awards pretty quick and we got watches and checks! I won $400 and Marty won $200 so that will help pay for the new front, side and back doors we just bought for our house. They were desperately needed but geez those things are expensive!
I’ll post some pictures once my sister gets them on facebook. My 10 year old niece took some great shots, although definitely too many butt shots of me.
I knew a few of my competitors from doing a couple of races up there now, and also recognized a couple other names from different race results and knew I needed to have a great race to finish near the top. Last week at the fun Woodlake triathlon I purposely dialed back the intensity and used it as a workout because I wanted to be ready to go for Breezy Point. I knew I may need to dig deep and didn’t want to have to go to the well two weeks in a row. That worked perfectly and I had a great time last week and a solid ‘triathlon workout’ but wasn’t sore or that tired afterwards.
Marty and I got to the race site early since you had to drive on base and we didn’t know if there would be backups with them checking ID’s, but it turned out to be a non-issue. There were also a ton of people already at the race site which surprised me since we got there around 6:15 for the 8:00 start! We did our morning race rituals and then realized at 7:30 that the swim area was only open for another 10 minutes, so we hustled down there to get in a little warm up. After getting out of the water I talked with Scott (future bro-in-law) before my wave got ready. I was glad he was there to chat with because I was pretty nervous and he kept my mind off of everything.
Once we got in the water there was confusion and yelling about where the start line was (the one end of the ‘start line’ was way ahead of the other, not sure who came up with that). Then the horn went and the typical mayhem ensued when you start with all the Open men, too. Except since this was an in the water start I didn’t get clobbered like I did last year at Sandman. The swim was 1K in a protected area of the ocean, but it still had a bit of chop and some current so it wasn’t one of our nice, flat, lake swims we get spoiled with here in NC. I took the swim out hard and put a lot of effort into it. My reward was 2nd female out of the water, and my transition had me on my bike with the slightest lead. My swim time was 14:31.
The bike is completely flat with some turns I am too cautious on. It was windy (hence the name, ‘breezy point’) and the roads were way bumpier than I would like. My legs took a bit to get warmed up but they came around quick and I pushed it pretty hard. No bike computer means I’m always a little nervous about how fast I’m going but my breathing (LOUD) reassured me that my effort was high. The second half of the bike smoothed out a bit and had a turnaround where I could gauge my position. Over the years I’m usually the one chasing and it’s a whole different mental battle when you’re in the lead! The girl who came out ahead of me on the swim wasn’t too far back, and the one young girl from Virginia Tech that I knew was fast must not have had a very good swim because I had a really solid lead on her. I relaxed a bit towards the end and I was confident I could hold it together for the run. Bike time was 32:28.
My sister and nieces and Scott’s mom were right there when I got off of my bike and were cheering like crazy. There is nothing cuter than hearing a 4 year old yelling your name! Heather was able to give me my lead (about :40) as I was running out. Even with putting on socks because of my delicate feet :) I had one of the fastest T2's for women.
I started the run and felt pretty good. I quickly caught up to a 19 year old (I think he was the first out of the water) who I had come up on the very end of the bike. He said, “You’re a machine!” which made me laugh. I told him he was doing great and he tucked in right behind me for most of the run. I didn’t mind and he kept me from slacking off. The first mile felt easy and when we turned right after it I found out why – we had a massive tailwind. So now it was a massive headwind. I kept it together for 2+ miles but then started to lose it mentally, and my buddy had fallen back. The last ½ mile is on the seawall (running into the headwind) and I definitely let my pace slide a bit. You could see the finish but it was so far away! My buddy ended up kicking past me with about 100 yards to go, and there was no way I was going to get into a sprint to the finish match with a 19 year old boy! I crossed the line and was pretty tired but overall felt good. Run was 19:30.
Marty is definitely getting back on track and finished 3rd overall. He was the ‘old guy’ in the top 5 and I think he did great. They sure do know how to have a post race party at these events; they held it at a park on base and had tons of food, soda and beer (all free!) They did awards pretty quick and we got watches and checks! I won $400 and Marty won $200 so that will help pay for the new front, side and back doors we just bought for our house. They were desperately needed but geez those things are expensive!
I’ll post some pictures once my sister gets them on facebook. My 10 year old niece took some great shots, although definitely too many butt shots of me.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)