Philadelphia Triathlon

The Philadelphia Insurance Triathlon is the 3rd of 6 races in the Lifetime Triathlon Series- Race to the Toyota Cup. 

photo credit: Eric Wynn

 The pro field (men and women combined) had a water start in the Schuylkill River.  The current pulled us beyond the start buoys prior to the gun, so we had to back up... twice.  Then...BANG...we were off in what felt like the craziest frenzy I've swam in a long time.  Elbows flying, arms spinning, mouthfuls of nasty river water...bleh!  Typically I sight the buoy every 6th stroke.  No need in this pack- I made the assumption the group was heading the right direction, kept my head down, and hung on.  Two of us swam away from the group at one point and I remember thinking to myself, "This is much calmer- maybe I'll stay out here.  Naahhh!" and got back in.  I got out with a big pack (4-5 women included) and was ready to hunt people down on the bike after a quick T1.  (Yes, I finally had a successful T1 bike mount.  Only took me 6 races to get it right, but now I'm set).  Swim: 17:15; 10th place heading out to the bike. 



Me on the right- intensely racking my bike during T2;
photo dredit: Eric Wynn



The bike course is essentially a 2-lap flat course with several loops branching off to add elevation.  I drove and rode the course a couple days before and was excited to race through the course.  Last week was a technical, flat, urban course; this week a semi-technical course with climbs short and steep enough to send your heartrate through the roof.  I am reminded how much I love hilly courses :)  I caught 4 women who started ahead of me, a couple pretty quickly and a couple about halfway through the course.  I was about to enter T2 in 6th but was passed at just the last second and went in 7th.  Bike split 1:05.




 Then the run.  Oh the run.  I've got a lot of work MENTALLY to do on this leg.  Training is going in the right direction, but man those ladies are fast!  So tough to see them go by after all my hard work.  It's strange finding myself shutting down mentally during the run when I'm used to pushing hard to the finish line.  Long course racing= settling into a run pace.  C'mon legs... time to recalibrate!  On the positive side: I know I've not reached my potential at this distance and am eager to improve. 



Jahan and Betty Culbreath

 Total time: 2:07 and 11th place.  Post race was spent enjoying the hospitality tent and talking with other racers and people affiliated with the race.  HUGE thanks goes out to Jahan (who, by the way, was 1st place master in the sprint race just the day before- woo hoo!!) and his mother for hosting me. 

DC Triathlon



Awating the gun- me on right



The DC triathlon is the 5^th race in the 5150 series (I have raced 3 of them).  Pros earn points at each race in an attempt to qualify for the championship race at Hyvee.  Once downtown on race morning, I understood why the pro start was 3 hours after the first age group start- it was a constant stream of racers making their way through the city streets.  We were very fortunate to have the city streets all to ourselves. 



I am the dot in the middle
heading towards T1



Though the age groupers had a time trial start, ours was a water start.  This course was BY FAR the best marked swim course.  HUGE marked, orange buoys every 100m to let you know how far you’d gone.  Why don’t all races have this??  I could tell I was a bit sluggish by 200m, but felt I had a strong swim.  I came out of the water 9^th with a 19:15 split.  I could see about 4 others just ahead of me in T1, and was determined not to let them out of my sight.  My bike mounting is still not perfected, but I know how to fix it now. 





Initially I was quite nervous about the bike course.  This was a 2-loop urban course, each with several turns and 4 out-and-backs (including 180 degree turnarounds).  It had rained earlier so the course had potential to be very dangerous!  Thank God the roads had dried up because we were moving!  I caught the other women partially through the first lap, but couldn’t make any distance past them and they entered T2 right in front of me.  Referees were in full force on the course, but I weaved along the streets to keep within the rules.  Legs reminded me of last week’s workouts about halfway through the 2^nd lap.   I LOVED THIS COURSE!!  Bike split: 1:03



Felt soooo good!



T2 was quick and I headed out sandwiched between Amanda Stevens and Pip Taylor.  I settled into what felt like a decent pace.  That’s never a good sign in this race distance- I should’ve been focusing on turnover, form and keeping the next racer as close as possible.  However, I was struggling by mile #2.  My body quickly felt the effects of the humidity and the fact I left 2 of 3 GU packets untouched.  I was running on fumes the last mile.  Run split: 42 and change.  Bleh! 



Cousin Ryan and Uncle Fran
were all over the course- thanks!



Total time: 2:08 with a 12th place finish.  ehh..  Thankfully the volunteers allowed me to jump in one of the ice tubs to recover.  I highly recommend this race (or Nation’s Triathlon Sept. 11 which is held downtown DC as well).  The course was very well marked, the venue is spectator friendly, and how cool to ride/run in our nation’s capital!  Huge thanks to Ryan (my cousin) for shuttling me around before and after the race.  Great to catch up with some friends before and after the race (Abby, Lou, Chris, Mike, Erica, and Carter)- great to see you and hope to connect again soon!



Run around National Mall



I am staying a couple extra days doing the tourist thing, and am heading to Philadelphia to race this weekend.  Later will post a “Top Ten” list of my trip -Lots of crazy things happen in big cities. 

miss  

Gear Comparison



my "home" for 45 min during

a nasty thunderstorm

One lesson I was reminded of this week: the importance of little details.  Top 4 training related details for me this week:

1. Training with others makes a HUGE difference, especially when you're tired and mentally drained. 
2. Hydration is a key element to peak performance and recovery (click to see GU's latest flavors)
3. Don't forget to use skin lube and sunblock :)
4. Check the radar before biking

Nearly all details can be addressed and/or altered to help improve one's performance.  Unfortunately, there are some athletes who choose to break the rules by using performance enhancing drugs, drafting on the bike, or cutting the course.  The rest of us depend on engineers, coaches, and athletes to join together to create gear and training regiments that allow us to improve upon our previous performances. 

Many of us are creatures of habit and tend to stick with what has worked for us in the past.  There are aspects of racing that require consistency and familiarity (recovery and nutrition).  However, there is one area in sports that will always benefit from change and that is the ever-evolving technology of race gear.  Engineers and athletes have the same goal: improving upon the previous performances.  I freely admit I know very little about the details of racing gear in comparison to some triathletes.  I rely heavily on those who have done adequate research to teach me why such-and-such brand will benefit me more than the next brand.  Every company has their selling point, but it is up to us to research and trial gear to see what works best for us on race day.  On TriSports website you will find reviews, gear comparison, and other valuable details when you click on TriSportsU (the "U" stands for university... teaching... get it?)  For those students of the sport, check out some of these articles:

Saddle Comparison
Bike Shoe Comparison
Helmet Comparison
Hydration Mounts: Aero Mounts, Frame Mounts, Rear Mounts
Sports Drink Comparison
Tri Shorts Comparison
Must Read Books

My top 3 non-triathlon details of the week:

1. Spend some time organizing those details that often get pushed to the back burner (i.e. clean your counter/ junk drawer, wash your car, whatever... it feels good to get organized)
2. Cherish your family - I depend on mine!  Thank you all for your help, encouragement, and advice.
3. Have some fun!  I got my hillbilly on at the Mud Bog this weekend... loved it!!







Not Just Plain Rice

I moved to Dayton 11 years ago for my 3rd clinical in Occupational Therapy at Dayton Children's and have been working there ever since.  I had only done a handful of triathlons at this point (1-2 olympic distance races a summer...on a Trek hybrid) but once I got my first tri-bike I was hooked and started racing more.  I quickly met and started training with other racers in the area.   I've never pictured myself living in Dayton quite as long as I have but the people I've met through work, church and triathlon, have been the reason I've stayed in town. 





Squirrel, Kromer, Scuba, and Amy (guys and nicknames...?) 



Over the past 8 months 4-5 of us have been meeting once a week for dinner.  Each week one of us cooks a meal for the group at their house.  We alternate weeks and throw in a "restaurant week" every now and again. 







The majority of us live within a couple miles of each other so we can walk, bike, or drive (depending on the weather).  So far we have had some amazing dinners!  I'm not saying each meal is low calorie and diet friendly, but we've had a great time relaxing and unwinding from the day.





Many discussions have the "what's said here, stays here" stamp, but conversation returns to our common link at some point throughout the evening.  I look forward to our get-togethers each week not only for the good food but spending time relaxing with friends away from training/racing.





We have not repeated any meals, so our creative juices and cooking skills have been put to the test. Do you tend to buy or fix the same meals over and over?  Sometimes it's hard to eat healthy and have variety at the same time - especially if you are only cooking for one.  Simplicity in meal planning often prevails when working with a busy schedule.  I did a comparison of some grains (all readily available at local groceries) to add variety to your meals.  Who wants to keep eating plain rice, right?  Variety is the spice of life!  Read over the details and see how each of these might fit into your diet, depending on your need for calories, protein, carbohydrates, etc.  (serving size = 1cup, cooked)

FOOD	CALORIES	FAT	PROTEIN	SODIUM	FIBER	CARBS	IRON
white rice	242	0g	4g	0mg	1g	53g	15%
brown rice	218	2g	5g	2mg	4g	46g	6%
spelt (aka farro)	246	2g	11g	10mg	8g	51g	18%
bulgur	151	0g	6g	9mg	8g	34g	10%
couscous	176	0g	6g	8mg	2g	36g	3%
quinoa	222	4g	8g	13mg	5g	39g	15%
oatmeal	166	4g	6g	9mg	4g	32g	12%
wild rice	166	1g	7g	5mg	3g	35g	5%

enjoy :)

miss