I've done the MITCS series 5 or 6 times, and have won the series of 3 or 4 races (there were 4 up until a few years ago; now there are only 3 races spaced 2 weeks apart) 4 times, the last time being in 2010. I didn't have expectations going in here yesterday, seeing as how I've not been doing much of any speed training for running, only a few weeks on the bike, and really only a few weeks on the swim. I just hoped to not suck too much!
I warmed up at home first on the treadmill, then on my bike, drank a Coke on the way to the venue, and when I was exiting I355 and waiting at a stoplight to turn onto Roosevelt Road, I saw a pair of coyotes on the hill supporting the tollway. They looked to be in good health, with a nice, bushy winter coat. I watched one then the other capture and eat some sort of small rodent, using the pouncing method. I was so glad I got to see that! It makes me sad that many people think ill of coyotes, but I applaud the fact that they have become at home in the suburban ecosystem, and I can only guess that they are doing a good job in keeping the mouse/vole/miscellaneous rodent population under control. Some people are concerned about their dogs and cats, but cats should be indoors (to limit impact on songbird population), and as to small dogs, well we are only renting our land from the wild animals, who have every right to seek out their prey. The more wild animals I encounter near where I live, the happier I am! With the exception of deer--not a big fan of them coming into my yard and eating my flowers, but there aren't too many near me. Still, if I lived in an area with a lot of deer, I would just have to accept it.
When I got to the race venue, I had just enough time to do a quick warmup--5' on the track, then 10' on the stationary bike. This year they have Life Fitness bikes, and I've used them a few times at my Y and they seem to be geared more or less like a real bike. I say that based on the fact that I can hit the same speed on it as I do on my real bikes with about the same effort. I made a note of the saddle height, back to the locker room to put on my swim stuff, and got to the pool deck with just enough time to get in a 250 warmup.
The pool was nice and cold, and a few people commented it was TOO cold. Not for me! My Y's pool is usually 84-85, so this one seemed around 81, which was fine by me. Unfortunately, I got the gutter lane, but it wasn't too bad.
It was funny to me that even though I'd warmed up everything, that I still had some race jitters in me! Ah, my old friend! When the horn went off, I took off in my usual long distance pace, and felt pretty good. The woman sharing my lane was a decent swimmer, and we were neck and neck for maybe 150, and then I pulled ahead of her.
Even though I've started doing a lot of hard intervals in the pool (starting 1/1), I still am not a fast swimmer or sprinter. I managed 525 yards in 10', but know I can get to 550 or maybe 575. On a good note, at least I have not slowed down in 5 years!
Onto the bike, where I thought, based on my 10' test, that I'd do pretty well. I was in a wave with a bunch of old farts like myself, but hoped someone would challenge me, not that you can actually challenge someone on a stationary bike! I went relatively easy for the first mile, then changed to intervals of .5 mile hard/.25 mile easier. I managed 6.93 miles in 20', and my goal for the next race is 7.25, which I think is very doable. I expected to see high bike totals for everyone based on how the bikes are geared, so even though this was the best I've ever biked in terms of distance, it is almost apples and oranges, but still I know I worked really hard, and as is typical for me, when the bike was over, I dropped down to lay on the floor for a few seconds.
My hamstrings hurt a little from the god awful saddles on those bikes, but I walked it off and got ready to run. Everyone in the wave ushered me to the head of the line, even though I don't consider myself a good runner at all. We took off, and there was one girl much younger than me that seemed to be running a good pace, so I stayed just off her shoulder for much of the time. Looking back, I held back too much, and the pace was TOO comfortable, although I ran the most distance in the wave, but my pace was a craptastic, pathetic 8:50. I will fix that, though, and would expect to get down to 8:15 or even 8:00.
Still, as crappy as I ran, there was only one other woman in my old lady age group, and I crushed her. But when I was looking at the posted results, I would have placed 2nd or first in many of the lower age groups. Biking IS my strength!
Now the good thing about all of this is that I worked out for 3.5 hours on Saturday, so it's not like I was rested up or anything. But I'm looking at my training schedule, and it appears it's time for Wednesdays to become track workouts. I was going to wait 2 more weeks to begin that, but fuck it, I'm all recovered from all the November-December volume festival, and know I'm ready for serious track work, as I've been doing a little of it here and there. Again, I was shocked at how slowly I'd run, but only because I wussed out and hung with someone else instead of pushing myself.
After the race, they had both acupuncture AND massage, and I was in heaven! I got a little massage first, and then got some basic acupuncture, and I have to say, I feel pretty good this morning! I hung out to cheer on some friends, made a new one, and then they brought out the sandwiches (I was finished at 9:30 but was hungry go figure!), so I had a couple of those. I needed to kill some time anyway waiting for my bike shop to open so I could get my other shoes shimmed up.
So I went to
The Bike Shop and hung out and chatted, and it turns out they are getting a shipment of the new shoes I really want--the Sidi T2, pictured above. I don't really NEED new bike shoes, but I've learned now to periodically check Sidi and Castelli for cool new designs, and I really like the silver shoes (they're sparkly!), and I don't really need any other gear this year, so what the hell. I will pick them up in 2 weeks after I've done my second indoor sprint that I better go faster at and win my AG again!
By the way, I wore my magic running shoes (shown above), and I definitely had the best looking shoes! I did see a girl with the new Asics Gel Noosa Tri shoes, but the New Balance rainbows are cooler looking. Sadly, I can't find them anymore, and don't think NB is making this color any longer. I hope they do something similar next year. These are the best shoes ever!
On another note, I am not sleeping enough. I may just be in "confused winter mode," which has happened to me before with all the darkness, and my sleep schedule gets way off kilter. I am going to ask my doctor for a refill on sleeping pills, because OTC just isn't doing it. Last time I did that, pretty much as soon as I got the prescription, I began sleeping well again.
I was just so happy to race again yesterday! The adrenaline coursing through my veins, holding off the urge to hyperventilate during the swim, pouring it on during the bike, the sensation of wanting to puke while running, thanking all the volunteers, reconnecting with tri peeps. I think I was smiling ear to ear the entire time except when I felt like puking. Ah, racing---whenever I talk to someone who works out a lot (swim, bike and/or run) but doesn't race, I just don't get it. I don't do it so I can beat other people (well most of the time anyway), but just so I can see how I perform under pressure and enjoy doing it with others. The word compete comes from the Latin verb
competere, which means to seek together. Even us introverts can enjoy doing a solo sport in the presence of others!
And so, it's officially
ON! I feel healthy, strong, and ready to work my ass off (and on, as I've been doing lots of squats) and see just what I can accomplish this year!
