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Evergreen Sprint Triathlon - Triathlon


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Evergreen, Colorado
United States
Racing Underground
60F / 16C
Sunny
Total Time = 2h 04m 24s
Overall Rank = 173/232
Age Group = F45-49
Age Group Rank = 8/10
Pre-race routine:

Just before I went to bed, I watched the Tom Petty video ("I Won't Back Down") TJ sent me. Made me laugh and gave me a fresh reminder of the words to sing on the ride. I then took a sleeping pill because we had a super early start in the morning and I wanted to make sure I got enough sleep. Got up at 3:00 a.m.(!!), drank some coffee and ate a chocolate peanut butter Clif Builder Bar. Loaded everything into the car by 3:45 and drove 45 min. to Evergreen. There wasn't any athlete parking in the parking lot near the race, so Alex dropped me off with my gear at the entrance of the park. I walked about 1/4 mi. in the total pitch black to the transition area. At one point, I looked up and the stars were absolutely beautiful. A few people were riding their bikes around with lights on them and a lot of the athletes had head lamps. Wish I'd thought of that!!

I racked my bike right by the bike exit/entrance and got everything set up. I was between a guy who's been doing tris for 20 years and a woman who was doing her first one. The contrast was fun. The guy was friendly but then started getting a little overly friendly, like leaning on me while asking about the transition entrances/exits. Um, ick? Luckily, I didn't have to interact with him too much.

My bike seat got wet from the dew and I wiped it off a couple of times. I finally stopped doing that when I realized that I was going to be putting my wet butt on it when I got out of the swim so there was really no point in trying to keep it dry.

When it came time to put my wetsuit on, I realized that I'd forgotten my TriSlide. (Actually, it was hiding in my bag but I couldn't see it in the dark, despite the bright lights.) Someone offered me some Body Glide, which I've never used before. Luckily, the woman next to me had some TriSlide and let me use some of hers. Whew! Oops #1.
Event warmup:

Once Alex got back from parking the car, we jogged around in the dark trying to find the swim entrance/exit. As it got lighter, I rode my bike a bit, then we jogged about 1/2 mi. of the run. Transition closed at 5:45 and I headed over to the water at about 5:50. I was in the last wave, which started at 6:15. I waited until about 6:05 to get into the water because I knew it would be cold. Yeah, that was an understatement. It was C.O.L.D. As I waded in, I tripped on a big rock and flopped in with a splash and a splutter. No nose plug, no goggles, and a mouthful of muddy water. That's one way to get acclimated to it.

I regained my footing, banged my feet on a few more big rocks, then got to where the footing was softer (read: soft mud) and swam a few laps. Even though it was cold, it didn't feel all that bad once I got moving so I wasn't worried about the swim. I clambered my way back out over the big rocks and got back onto dry land. My feet were numb by that time so I didn't feel the rocks the 2nd time around. After the wave before us went, I got back in the water, swam around a bit more, dunked my goggles and got ready to go.
Swim
  • 22m 3s
  • 750 yards
  • 02m 56s / 100 yards
Comments:

Found some good open water quickly and hardly touched a soul. Sighting was good. I love my swim mask; it really helped with the navigation. I expected that the altitude would affect my breathing but it didn't bother me at all. I sighted every 4th breath and found that my sighting was disrupting my rhythm--something to work on. About 250 yds. in, I took a bit of a break to readjust my nose plug and catch my breath. As I neared the first buoy, the sun finally peeked over the trees. Not having the sun in my eyes for the whole swim was a real treat! About 10 yds. from the first buoy, there was a cold spot in the water. Really? As if the water wasn't cold enough?!

I rounded the first buoy well, hit another cold spot (or maybe just went through part of one big cold spot again), and kept on truckin'. There were lots of boats and kayaks available for swimmers and I saw a lot of people using them. I think the cold was hard and scary for some people. One kayak was getting kind of close to my line after I rounded the buoy. Not sure if he thought I needed help or what, but I really just wanted him to get the heck out of the way!!

I don't really remember rounding the 2nd buoy, I think it was more of a "just slide past" than a turn because the 1st one had been such a tight turn. Anyway, I finally made it to shore and stood up in the mud. The mud, oh the mud. I sunk in to my knees several times as I was running out of the water. Then I hit the rocks again. What the heck is up with the rocks?! My feet were totally numb so I couldn't feel much more than that I was banging them, so I just kept going and hoped for the best.
What would you do differently?:

More OWS to get used to not having a wall to push off and hang onto periodically. Also, I didn't push too hard, my sighting was disrupting my stroke, and I had to keep reminding myself to r-e-a-c-h and keep my elbows up. Bottom line: more swimming work needed.
Transition 1
  • 04m 59s
Comments:

Hands and feet were completely numb. Got out of my suit really quickly, then fumbled around getting socks, shoes, and helmet on. Wasted a LOT of time with the shrug. My hands were more like lobster claws and I couldn't get the dang thing zipped. The woman next to me even tried to help. She couldn't get it either. I then tried to put on my running gloves so at least my hands could warm up, but also couldn't get those on. I finally decided to hell with it, grabbed my bike, and went. Without my sunglasses. Oops #2 and #3.
What would you do differently?:

Give up on the shrug as soon as I figured out that I couldn't get it zipped. I probably lost almost 2 min. on the stupid thing. Also skip the gloves and put sunglasses by bike shoes, not with running stuff.
Bike
  • 1h 04m 50s
  • 12 miles
  • 11.11 mile/hr
Comments:

This course was really challenging because of old injuries. It's one of the hardest sprint bike courses in the area due to the altitude and amount of climbing and I was really intimidated by it. It took me 3 recon rides to make it the whole way. Having done that, I knew I could do it during the race but that I'd be pretty slow. I taped a piece of paper on my top tube with the mile points for the turns onto Witter Gulch and Stagecoach, as well as the high point of the climb so I'd know how to pace myself.

As I exited the park, a volunteer said to watch out for elk in the first mile. I didn't see any, but I did see deer, a rabbit, a chipmunk, and lots of wildflowers. I started out at a good pace on Upper Bear, knowing that I shouldn't push too hard so I'd have something left once I got onto the harder parts. Despite my concern about being cold, I didn't feel too bad except for my still-numb hands and feet. My quads were a little stiff but they warmed up quickly and didn't cause any problems. After a good pace up Upper Bear (I think my cadence stayed in the 90's?), I turned onto Witter Gulch, which was steeper. I had planned to stop as needed to regain my breath, give my hip a break, and drink some Skratch. I'd also planned to bring some Shot Blocks, but forgot to put them in my jersey pocket after the swim. I got off the bike at about mi.5.5 and walked a bit, then got going again.

The turn onto Stagecoach was a steep hairpin and I got up out of the saddle to take that one. After the turn, it flattened a bit but still kept climbing. My cadence had dropped into the 60's but I didn't care. I knew that I just had to put my head down and keep peddling. Having just been watching the TdF, I figured if Froome could climb that way, so could I. (Yeah, that's like comparing a flea to an elephant, but whatever works.) Hopefully I didn't look as ungainly as he does!! I also sang, "I won't back down, I'm gonna stand my ground..." After the top of the first hill, there was a winding descent before I hit hill #2. Not sure how fast I was going but it was SO much fun!!

Alex was at the bottom of big hill #2. He'd ridden his bike up so he could be there to cheer for me. He's the best sherpa ever! I got off the bike a couple of times to walk, but I never stopped moving. I hit the high point at mi. 7.3 (I had marked it as 7.4) and knew it was going to be a blast from there. Some winding downhill, another short up, more winding downhill (whee!!), then a turn onto Evergreen Parkway. The course until then had been open to cars (who were very respectful, BTW), and Evergreen Pkwy. had a lane just for us. There were a few gradual climbs but LOTS of straight downhill and I'm pretty sure I got up to almost 35 mph. I passed a number of riders who had passed me on the climbs and I might even have gotten a few bugs in my teeth while I was grinning and enjoying it. I'd gotten my brakes adjusted so they weren't so stiff and it made a huge difference. My hands didn't get nearly as sore from braking as they had before.

As I got close to the turn onto Upper Bear, there were several volunteers warning riders to slow down. The turn was really tight, down a little hill and had some gravel on it so the potential for wiping out was really high. I navigated it well, cruised down to the park and back into the transition area. For the last 4 mi. or so, I was wiggling my hands and feet to get some sensation back into them. It didn't help my feet, but my hands did warm up a little.
What would you do differently?:

Ride the course sooner and several times more. Also get in more hill drills instead of just riding at a steady pace on the trainer. Even so, I was 5 min. faster than I was the 1st time I rode it, so I was relatively happy with my performance. Remember sunglasses and Shot Blocks.
Transition 2
  • 02m 6s
Comments:

This went well, despite my feet still being numb and my hands being cold. Tying my shoes was a little slow, but not bad. I discovered that I'd forgotten my knee strap. Crud. Oops #4. Oh well, guess we'll see how it goes without it.
What would you do differently?:

Get speed laces for shoes.
Run
  • 30m 24s
  • 2.93 miles
  • 10m 23s  min/mile
Comments:

Oof. It's really hard to run uphill with numb feet. Also, I hadn't run the correct route on recon so I wasn't expecting the big hill in the 1st mi. Oops #5!! I ended up walking some. After I got up that hill, though, everything went really well. I passed a lot of people and finished strong. Despite not having my knee band, it didn't hurt at all, I'm glad I've been doing stairs on a regular basis. Even though I didn't run up them, they didn't slow me down much.
What would you do differently?:

Recon the right route so I know what to expect!! Also, slow down instead of stopping to walk; it's a lot harder to start running again after walking.
Post race
Warm down:

Walked around, ate some watermelon (yum!!) and a burrito (also yum!!), drank some Skratch, and chatted. Hung around for the raffle and got a $15 Road ID gift certificate.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

Lack of training on the swim and bike, stoopid glute/hammy pain on the bike, frozen feet and poor recon on the run. Things to remember/avoid next time: trust my packing and check all the pockets in my bag, put sunglasses and fuel (if needed) with bike stuff, remember to pick up fuel if needed, put knee strap on packing list, and recon recon recon.

Event comments:

Considering that I wasn't even sure that I should enter this race because of the difficulty, I'm really proud of myself. I made it to the start, I made it to the finish, and I wasn't even last!! I learned a number of things about strategy, planning, coping with the unplanned-for, and I was reminded once again that when I decide I'm going to do something and I'm in it, I'll finish, no matter what. I never once thought I'd quit during the race and it was a wonderful experience overall.

This was a super race in a spectacular venue and very well organized. Even though it started an hour early, the water was freakin' cold and the bike was really hard, I want to do it again.




Last updated: 2015-08-09 12:00 AM
Swimming
00:22:03 | 750 yards | 02m 56s / 100yards
Age Group: 7/10
Overall: 0/232
Performance: Average
Suit: Orca Predator
Course: Counterclockwise almost-triangle.
Start type: Wade Plus: Waves
Water temp: 62F / 17C Current: Low
200M Perf. Average Remainder: Average
Breathing: Good Drafting:
Waves: Navigation: Average
Rounding: Good
T1
Time: 04:59
Performance: Below average
Cap removal: Good Helmet on/
Suit off:
No
Wetsuit stuck? No Run with bike: Yes
Jump on bike: No
Getting up to speed: Average
Biking
01:04:50 | 12 miles | 11.11 mile/hr
Age Group: 9/10
Overall: 0/232
Performance: Average
Accidentally deleted all data from my bike computer. Grrrr!
Wind: None
Course: Exit Evergreen Lake Park onto Upper Bear Road. Go 4.5 mi. to Witter Gulch Road, R on Witter Gulch and 1.2 mi. to Stagecoach Blvd. R onto Stagecoach and 3.3 mi. to Evergreen Pkwy. Down to hard right onto Upper Bear, then back into park. 1,500 of elevation gain with most of the climbing in the 1st 7 mi.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence:
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Below average
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Not enough
T2
Time: 02:06
Overall: Average
Riding w/ feet on shoes
Jumping off bike
Running with bike Good
Racking bike Good
Shoe and helmet removal Good
Running
00:30:24 | 02.93 miles | 10m 23s  min/mile
Age Group: 8/10
Overall: 0/232
Performance: Average
11:52 9:17 9:15
Course: Dirt path, dirt road, concrete path, iron steps down and up, boardwalk, asphalt, grass.
Keeping cool Good Drinking Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Average
Mental exertion [1-5] 3
Physical exertion [1-5] 4
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Too hard
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 4

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2015-08-30 9:50 PM

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Member
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Denver, CO
Subject: Evergreen Sprint Triathlon


2015-08-31 1:32 PM
in reply to: #5137705

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Pennsylvania
Subject: RE: Evergreen Sprint Triathlon

I am so incredibly proud of you!!  As you said, you started, you finished (and were very far from last), you had fun, you learned a lot, and you want to do it again.  That, my friend, makes for a great race!  CONGRATS!  Song choice for next year: "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" 

2015-09-01 1:53 PM
in reply to: #5137705

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Master
6595
50001000500252525
Rio Rancho, NM
Subject: RE: Evergreen Sprint Triathlon

Awesome! Awesome! Awesome!

You DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I knew you could, just sayin'

That DH of yours is sure a keeper. Maybe next year he'll do it too

2015-09-01 2:53 PM
in reply to: rrrunner

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Master
6595
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Rio Rancho, NM
Subject: RE: Evergreen Sprint Triathlon

Oh, and as for the Froome reference, I thought the same thing when you mentioned the hairpin turn. As long as you aren't staring at your stem you can't look too much like him.

2015-09-01 4:04 PM
in reply to: rrrunner

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Member
2098
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Simsbury, Connecticut
Subject: RE: Evergreen Sprint Triathlon
TO FINISH IS TO WIN!!

Awesome job!! Difficult race ppppppppppfffffffffftttttttttttttttt You went in with a plan and executed!!

Congrats!

2015-09-01 5:16 PM
in reply to: mtnbikerchk

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Master
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Orlando
Subject: RE: Evergreen Sprint Triathlon

Woo Hoo!  Congratulations on a great race!!  Other than the creepy leaner guy, it sounds like a great event  I know you were worried about it, so am so glad you crushed it.  Well done!!  Oh, and you gotta love a race where you have to look out for the Elk.



2015-09-01 7:02 PM
in reply to: amd723

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Seattle
Subject: RE: Evergreen Sprint Triathlon

Wow, awesome job Mary!!!! 5 minutes faster than the first time AND that whole swim and run part.

I a so glad you went for it and didn't let yourself become to intimidated to try. Just think of what else you can accomplish!

Again, great work!

2015-09-03 8:24 AM
in reply to: Asalzwed

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812
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Katy, Texas
Subject: RE: Evergreen Sprint Triathlon
Way to go Mary!! You kicked some serious !!! Congrats!!

About the sunglasses, can you jam them into the front of your helmet like this? Then you just put your helmet on in transition and can transfer the glasses to your face once out on the bike.

2015-09-04 1:31 PM
in reply to: Jet Black

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Member
2689
2000500100252525
Denver, CO
Subject: RE: Evergreen Sprint Triathlon

Thanks, everybody.  Without your encouragement, I'd never have signed up, much less finished. 

Mel, I might make "Roar" by Katie Perry my song for next year or maybe some head-banger stadium rock from the 80's. Oh, and somebody described Froome as looking like one of those tall flapping things outside a used car dealership.  That image makes me laugh every time!!

Sean, the glasses on the helmet is a great idea.  Looks like I need to get some bigger teeth too based on that picture.

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