Kelowna Apple Triathlon (National Championships)
(1500M Swim 28:25 8/20 PB) (40K Bike 1:19:51 9/20 PB)
(10K Run 54:58 9/20)
2:47:05 8/20 PB Female 50 – 54
A year ago at this same race, my nemisis decided she was going to qualify for World’s in Aukland, NZ in 2012. I needed a new carrot and so my chase after Bronwyn began. I too, decided I would attempt to place in the top ten at Nationals in Kelowna and set out after it. Up until this year, I had always landed in the middle to bottom of the pack.
I asked myself what I had control over to reach those goals and what I had no control over. I could lose weight, get a carbon bike, learn to get in the aero bars and get a coach that had proven results with AG triathletes. I did everything I could to improve my swim, bike and run for the past ten months and now it was time to put the hammer down!
However…..I had no control over my age.
Hot flashes should be disqualified and not allowed before or during a race! Unfortunately, when you’re a woman in the 50 -59 AG, you’re at the mercy of your hormones and have little to no control when they decide to attack you.
They came in the night before the race, during the race and even at the finish…although it was hard at that point to tell if it was the external heat or me. My biggest challenge was trying to stay hydrated leading up to the race between the flashes and 34c weather.
I decided not to wear a watch for the race but to trust in my training to push as hard as possible without hitting the wall.
Seeding myself in the top 20% of swimmers in my heat; I was able to keep focused and stick with the top 5 women for the first 750M loop. I dropped back to 8th place on the second loop but had a smooth swim and was 8/20 out of the water.
There was quite a bit of traffic on the bike course which always freaks me out. The sun was beating down hard and Knox Hill was excruciating as usual.
Bronwyn was in my sights and I was able to pass her once on the first loop uphill. It was short lived however, as she gained 1 minute on me every loop. She is a powerhouse on the bike! Deb would call my splits as I came through town and by the 3rd loop Bronwyn had a 4 minute lead on me.
I was determined to catch her on the run since that has always been my strongest discipline in the event.
The first 1K was fantastic! My legs were motoring and I fell into a fast and easy rhythm with every stride. I felt a slap on my butt and it was my coach Mark coasting past me on his second loop of the 10K course.
I thought it was amazing that I was cruising along at his pace of about 4:30 KM when…BOOM!
Both quads seized like an engine out of gas and I couldn’t move. I could barely breathe and was instantly engulfed in overwhelming pain as my quads cramped into agony. Looking down, which is all I could manage, I could see strange and unfamiliar muscular balls protruding like aliens just above my knees. I just stood there stunned and wincing in pain…terrified I was going to collapse and not finish my most important race of the year.
An official on a bike came to my rescue and suggested I pull myself out of the race. NO WAY!
Option 2 was to drink 2 glasses of Gatorade (which I can’t stomach)and stretch until the cramping subsided. I did and it helped for about another 2K. Then it happened again!!
There was no way I was going to quit so, actually started doing running drills to keep the cramps at bay. I must have looked ridiculous but didn’t care. At the very least I had to catch up with my nemesis.
The second run loop was a battle of mind and body. I knew I was seriously dehydrated and had probably started the race in a moisture deficit thanks to those friendly hot flashes draining my body of electrolytes.
Every time I tried to pick up the pace, the pain would fill my legs and I’d have to slow down.
At long last the finish line was in sight and I sucked in as much air as I could to finish strong. The cheering from Deb and my mom, stepdad, coach and fellow athletes was overwhelming. They truly made me feel like a champ and I knew I had left everything out there. Even though I had lost between 4-6 minutes during the run by stopping, I had finished almost 7 minutes faster than last year so all the hard work had definately paid off!
I’ll be back next year with salt pills in tow!
the tri bags 