LURAY 2022 RACE RECAP

 THE RACE THAT ALMOST DIDN'T HAPPEN

So, maybe you’ve read my pre race thoughts of “nothing more, nothing less”….. and my mind set goals going into my favorite triathlon of the year. 

Well, my intentions were there.

I went to bed early, and….. could not sleep.

Various things going on as to why and why my mind was not in a good place and I had all emotions that began raging out of control.  I was angry at some things, worried, and mentally began going through the race/ trying to imagine a way it could go well, and I just couldn’t do it in my head.  I switched sleeping locations maybe 10x.  It didn’t work.

*Sorry for TMI, but I had just gotten my period and I knew I usually feel terrible day 2 and did not know the LOGISTICS of how I was going to actually even make this race work with having my period. Ugh.

So, I began making up this story that maybe I shouldn’t even do it.  I went back and forth.  Literally.  The ENTIRE NIGHT.  I slept zero.

In the morning, (3:30AM, had to leave at 4), I began getting ready, the entire time self talking that I didn’t know if I was even going.  I didn’t know if I should/ could/ all the things were happening in my mind.  I still got ready, I dind’t know why I couldn’t just make a decision.  I put my bike on the back of car, still not sure.  Then I went and decided I couldn’t wear the swimsuit I was wearing.  I’ve worn it before, but it’s never been my exact favorite fit, and all of a sudden I just decided I couldn’t do it, I couldn’t be so uncomfortable with the back of the suit so high across my upper back/ I felt like it was digging into my under arms/lats and I hated that I could feel it pushing on my skin, not only feeling annoying, but looking terrible in my mind.  So, now I am at 3:55 in a rage trying to find another swim suit (not just swim suit but one that was for tris).  This is really not how I rumble before a race, I never CHANGE my idea on what I’m wearing to race in the morning of, OMGOSH.

OK, so got a swimsuit and got in car.  I’m doing it.  At this point, a few other female logistical things were weighing on me and bringing me to a panic, but within 20 min, I’m at least back to breathing easy and solid that I’m going.  I’m doing this.  I cannot believe I spent the entire night waffling on if I’m even doing the race.  I decide to just go and HAVE FUN.  Maybe I had been overthinking my “race plan” and should have just been all out to have fun from the get go?

Arriving at the race site, I step out and am near shocked at how COLD IT IS IN THE MOUNTAINS.  The grass is soaked and in my flip flops, my feet are just frozen.  I get race number and timing chip and set up bike in transition and begin my 1000 trips to bathroom.  As always.  So frustrating.  Luckily, I didn’t have any GI distress in the race itself.

Swim:  Started steady and really remained within where I wanted to be pace and intensity wise.  This is the BEST swim ever if you are ever considering an open water swim event.  The lake is smooth, easy, beautiful.  People were spread out and not an issue at all except for ONE situation at the turn to the 2^nd loop:  a guy I knew I was passing from an earlier wave apparently decided to use me as a dock and was pushing me DOWNWARDS, hands on back and just kept doing it.  I know bumps and hits happen, but this was like someone trying to push me down and repeatedly drown me.  After a bit, I took my hand, and literally somehow with my adrenaline running grabbed his arm or body I am not even sure and threw him over in the water/ off of me.  I may have yelled something as well (I did), I had zero control over what I was doing, I was trying to not drown… and then after I threw him away, I just got back into my swim because I didn’t want him near me anymore and tried to calm down for the 2^nd loop.  I ended strong and feeling good about my swim overall.

Bike: I wanted to go strong and I feel like I did the entire time push my pace appropriately.  I had.. AGAIN… a right/left leg discrepancy which I now am COMMITTED to find out what is going on.  My right hip/hamstring is my problematic side.  In 3 races now, on the bike, my LEFT leg/hip/hamstring feels like it is cramping/ tightening/ doing an entirely different work than my right side.  I am trying to push equally, but something is feeling wrong on my left side.  To the point that I’m completely limited by about cramping up on my left side, I'm AT that line of it making me stop if I do more, so need to be careful and listen to it. But I just cannot figure it out right now.  I will be though.  I finished with 19 mph average, and completely went as much as I worked for, stayed focus, strong and smart.

The hills were challenging, but I kept mentally strong, not letting them make me feel that I wasn’t still pushing even obviously when my pace was slower on the hills.

RUN: I had it planned to stop in the port o pot after T2 due to my female issues and I did and just was very fast of 30 seconds and OFF to the run.  First mile, I felt strong, even with the transition.  2^nd mile, my pace was 7:55, and I wanted to KEEP that exact INTENSITY (pace if possible, but I knew mile 3 was much more uphill).  So, I used that pace to keep it back to the turnaround.  Mile 3 was slower with the hills, but I knew I had done the work with committing to not give up for one second.  I was happy to start the 2nd loop and maybe see if I could begin to push it a bit more.  Mile 4 was fast again as that first mile is a bit more downhill and then I knew I have 1 more to push and then FINAL MILE.  I love this distance to really just break up the miles and if you go faster, in a way, it’s almost easier to let them clock by!  There were various paces out there and I loved being able to pass people.  I had one guy who was really keeping a solid pace in front of me for most of the race and then I passed him at mile 4.5- it does get really hard the last 1.5 miles with heat and hills, but I knew this was the end and to just hang in step by step, there is no sense in recovering BEFORE the finish line, right?!  So I did push ALL THE FREAKING WAY to the end.  There is like 200 yards before finish where it is downhill to the finish line so I did try to use that to get any extra seconds I could!

32:28 (1500m)	35:18/mile
T1	1:23
Bike	1:20:37 (41km)	19.0/mph
T2	1:05
Run	50:01 (10km)	8:04/mile
Penalty
Finish	2:45:32.0

THIS WAS MY 11th LURAY!   Not my fastest, but i am 100% thrilled with my race!

Pre- LURAY 2022: Nothing more, Nothing Less.

 

LURAY 2022- NOTHING MORE, NOTHING LESS

Here we are, another year.

I went back yesterday to read my race write up from last years Luray race and am BLOWN AWAY by what I wrote as the pre-race feelings. 

I was nervous, but most of all, I had had a week where I Had been feeling TERRIBLE.  And here we are again.  A week ago, I felt so bad I had to cancel classes for a day, and since then, I’m better like “functioning” but just don’t feel good/on/ I’m super tired, definitely something allergy going on because my voice is sometimes barely there, but also my body is off: EVERYWHERE.

My neck is off/ left hip/left low back, right upper ribs, my left FOOT has been giving me the first signs of plantar fasciitis, so I”ve been for the first time icing my foot and trying to take care of that.  Everything is hurting, off and again, I’m TIRED.  I’m taking a week off next week, but leading into Luray, it strikes me how similar I felt to last year, and leading me to ask some questions.  (Was my training too much over the summer (not that my actual training was too much, but in addition to all of the physicality of my days and just energy that I use up daily basis in my work maybe that was too much; maybe allergies I really need to figure out and get a preventative plan?)

ANYWAY:  RACE IS TOMORROW.  I will be there.

I’ve done some mental prep work and trying to get last minute things together today, water bottles, flasks, food packed, transition stuff, tires pumped, bike is cleaned etc.

My mental plan:

SWIM:  I always get nervous for the swim, but I just want to go out and be solid and strong.  The thing I hate is when I get that first bit of discrepancy in oxygen to my body/ being horizontal and I get a little tingly or panicky--- so I practiced that in the pool this week—forcing myself into that physical and mental state and then easing off a few strokes, calming and then re-entering the work at race pace.  I know how to recover from these episodes and so I have confidence that even if that happens, I know how to deal with it and continue.  I am hoping my sighting goes well so I don’t take unnecessary time.

BIKE:  I didn’t feel super strong last year and I hope to hop on the bike and begin CRUSHING IT nearly immediately.  It is 25 miles- I’ll take a mile of settling in, then I intend to RACE the rest to my ability and feel AGGRESSIVE.  I didn’t enjoy the feeling last year of being tentative kind of?  Just not myself on the bike.

RUN:  last year I really pushed hard physically and mentally. My run time was 49:27 last year and I remember I really did do my best.  I’d like to get that time again.. obviously faster is better- but as close to that time. 

BASICALLY IN A NUTSHELL---I aim to race with NOTHING MORE/ NOTHING LESS.

I say this all the time in yoga—we don’t need to be who we aren’t, but we need to be all that we are.

When I am out there, I can’t force myself to places I cannot go/ am not at the level of, but I can be fully present and eeking out every little bit that I do have available of myself!

Someone recently asked me if this was my “A” race.  It’s hard to honestly say anymore.  Yes, I’ve been training with my eyes on both THIS and next weekend at Annapolis 10Miler.  And they are kinda both an “A” race.   But I almost don’t like to think completely in terms of A races anymore, because – I feel like over the years, I’ve shifted towards my triathlon/race goals being much more meshed into my life and my reality, rather than trying to BULLDOZE FIERCELY and too tightly through life.  I have goals, and I do all that I can to make them a reality, but also – not at the expense of a balance and joy in my days.  I train hard and well, but I no longer am willing to put my training as this rigid HIGHEST TIER of my days.  I mean, don’t get me wrong, I still get it in, even when I don’t want to, BUT…. There is less urgency, less tightness of times and must-do’s and I’m more willing to listen to the restrictions of my body and back off when I need to.  (In essence, maybe this makes my training BETTER even…..) but it is just maybe myself accepting limitations and just truly being all that I am, but not needing to be more than I am.

 

Here's to a STRONG AND SUNNY DAY IN LURAY!