Tri Latta

As promised, I will continue updating on my tri experiences! Tri Latta was my 2nd Triathlon and took place at the Latta Plantation outside of Charlotte, NC. The biggest challenge of this triathlon was preparing physically and mentally for the open-water swim. I arrived in Charlotte on Friday evening and had a great stay at a local Bread and Breakfast. Saturday consisted of a light 20 minute run in the AM to get the legs moving, some delicious homemade down home breakfast and then a trip to Carowinds Amusement Park. Luckily the park was not crowded at all and Ryan and I were able to do everything we wanted in about 5 hours. We caught the USA WC match before picking up our race packets and attending the course briefing. Seeing everyone around and the swim course set up definitely did not ease any anxiety that I had. We enjoyed a quick and simple pasta dinner at the local Olive Garden and hit the bed early for a 5am Wake Up. Oh how I love Triathlon start times!

Staying in a B&B is great but when you wake up at 5am you kind of have to provide your own breakfast, but I actually preferred this. I was able to enjoy my usual of Special-K Red Berries with Skim milk. Off we went to the Latta Plantation to set up our Transition Areas and prepare for the race. This was my first time wearing a Timing Chip around my ankle and setting up my TA on grass. As I went to get body-marked I was very nervous and shaking, the nice lady with the huge permanent marker eased some of my anxiety by talking with me, she was an "elite" racer who had raced the same course the day before. Ryan was in the first wave of racers and I followed 2 waves later.

I never could have imagined how crazy the open-water swim gets! People kicking you, slapping you, swimming over you and under you! People are everywhere all battling to get to the next bouy and out of the water first! I was not used to not be able to see well in the water or swimming with all the competition and having such choppy water. Needless to say I swam a little off course at a couple points but managed to finish the swim course without any major hiccups. I did start off way to fast and had to slow down quite a bit about 200m out, in order to maintain a constant pace for the rest of the swim.

Coming out of the water with all the people cheering you on is quite exciting. The run up to the TA was a bit longer than average and slightly uphill. I ran up to my TA and got ready to bike as quickly as I could. I had to manage to get socks and shoes on my wet feet, but I had picked up a tip to use baby powder which worked like magic! I quick adjustment of the hair and getting the helmet on and I grabbed my bike and ran out to the mount line! The bike ride was awesome, the racers were all pretty spread out so there were no traffic jams to deal with. The roads were not closed to traffic, but I think I only saw 1 car the whole time and they were very well patrolled with police at every intersection. I chose to take a GU packet about 14 miles into the ride to ramp up my energy for the run. I dismounted the bike, ran it back in and transition as quickly as possible to the run.

I think dealing with long hair may be one of the trickiest parts of transitioning. You pretty much have to adjust it for every event. Once I was situated I was able to fall into a decent pace for the run. The run was mostly a trail run through the plantation. The sun was hot by this team and many people were walking. My ankle strap for my timing trip have began to cut into my ankle and it was killing me! There were some tough climbs on the trail but I kept on trucking. I saw Ryan about 1 mile ahead of me when I was about .5 miles in. My legs were tired, I was tired, I pushed through to the water stop and broke the run up to 3 small runs in my mind. 1 mile at a time, very doable! I pushed through and tried to speed up at the end. As I rounded the last turns towards the finish line I began to lick my lips and kick it to the line! I passed a few people at the end and had a great finish!

One of the greatest things about Tri Latta is the finish line festival! Though it is not a huge race, the finish line festival is awesome! There was free fruit, Harvest Bread Co. Bread, massages, and even a Beer Garden! Two free beers for every racer as well! Nothing like some Mich Ultra at 9:15 am! Ryan and I hung out long enough to see our results and the awards ceremony before heading back to our B&B for a great home-style breakfast! If you have ever wanted to try a sprint-triathlon or if you are a triathlete I highly recommend Tri Latta. There are 2 days of racing - Saturday for Elites and Age Groupers and Sunday all for Novice racers!

My final results were as follows: 750 m Swim: 18:00 Min 17 Mile Bike:56:10 5k Run: 26:36

Total Time: 1:46:03 (good enough for 12th overall in Novice Women and 1st in my age group)

Ryan ousted me by a little over a minute in this race. After this race I really started training for triathlons and making Brick workouts a weekly occurance. I don't know what I would do without them now!

Pounding Asphalt

Or Not. With the recent influx of freezing cold temperatures I have deemed it necessary to ride my bike indoors. I did some shopping around for a decent and affordable indoor trainer and ended up finding a perfect MagTrainer at Dick's. Though the sun still shines during the day, the cold air and wind is just unbearable on the bike. I set up the trainer and conveniently placed my bike directly in front of the window so I could watch the world go by, or just the people. I pounded the peddles for an hour this morning while watching the happenings of 22 St., New Hampshire Ave. and L St. NW. Absolutely nothing interesting happened. This ride was phase 1 of my brick workout, normally I would ride for about 2 hours but the trainer seems to be a bit more exhausting then the street! I followed the ride with about a 6 mile run around DC. It didn't seem to cold for the run, until I was along the River and the wind coming across it was chilly! So at the end of the day I was able to pound some asphalt during the run, which felt great!

As the winter season moves in, I've had to start thinking about adjusting my training. I was able to take some much needed relaxation and restoration time while I was at home during Thanksgiving. I didn't choose this at first, but my body did, I was sick the entire time I was home. I was able to run in the Detroit Turkey Trot 10k on Thanksgiving morning, and PR in it! I was down and out for the count after that though, no voice or energy on Friday! I've resumed day to day workouts since I've been back but I am realizing they have to altered. The first alteration was, of course, the addition of the indoor cycle trainer, which I love. I've also had to shorten my "long run" from about 10.5 to 8 miles, because it just gets so darn dark out so early! Though at first I was disappointed that I had to make these adjustments I've come to realize that this is an opportunity to rest the body and the mind as well as increase the intensity if I must shorten the workouts. Scheduled rest is just as important as scheduled workouts to allow your muscles to repair and adapt to the stresses you put them through. I can easily forget this sometimes, but alas life has a way of reminding me.

I will be racing in the Jingle All the Way 10k here in DC next Sunday. I am pretty excited as I have quite a few friends running in the race as well! Races such as this is not as much a race as it is a chance to come together with friends and celebrate the holiday season in a health promoting way. This will be a great way to finish off the 2010 racing calendar! I hope to start 2011 with the New Year's Resolution Run in LO on 1/1/11! The racing calendar for next year just sits with The Nation's Triathlon on it so far. I am looking to add in a Half-marathon, Half-Ironman, and enter the Cherry Blossom 10-miler lottery soon. The rest will be filled with Olympic and Sprint distance triathlons in preparation for the Half-Ironman.