The Night Before
Nutrition the day before a race is crucial. I tried to eat nutritional powerhouses with a chickpea, sweet potato, and spinach "hash" with a warm egg on top. It's very delicious and easy to make. I used some curry and cayenne pepper to spice it up. If you have any great recipes, please share!
Unfortunately due to friend drama and nervousness for my first TRI of the season, I did not sleep well at all. I think I only got about 3 hours of sleep. Then again, I can still perform well on little sleep (see entry about Arcadia TRI from last August).
Race Day
The morning of the race I got up and made sure I had everything packed- wetsuit, swim cap, towel, goggles, race belt, race shirt, helmet, sunglasses, water bottle, energy gummies, and Michael Jackson (my bike).
I couldn't make the packet pick-up the day before so I had to get to the race site early. Storms had just rolled through El Reno and it was chilly with temps int the 50s! I didn't pack a jacket for the bike ride so I knew I would have to tough it out. On the plus side, the mammatus clouds made for a beautiful sunrise!My friend and training buddy from last year, Janna Pratt, decided last minute to enter the race. Boy was I glad to have a buddy at the start line! It's a little nerve wrecking.
Swim - 500 meters
The water ended up being warmer than the surrounding air temperature so it wasn't too bad. The male swim wave went first followed by the females and then special swim wave. I think the swim went well when I started passing some of the males. A "stripper" pulled off my wetsuit (yeah, that's what triathletes call them!) and I ran to the transition area.
Bike - 13 miles
I threw on a shirt, grabbed MJ, and ran to the bike start line. Janna and I started the bike portion around the same time. After the first curve in the road, Janna took off! I am glad that I did not wear a jacket, I was already warmed up from the swim. The bike portion went well. The roads weren't too rough. Since it was cooler, I had to consciously remind myself to drink water.
Run - 5K (3.1 miles)
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My legs were burning a bit from the ride as I traded my cycle shoes for running shoes. Sprint triathlons are shorter but they hurt a bit more in my opinion. Since the distance is shorter, you have to push yourself more than ever to pick up speed. I have not been working on my speed so it hurt to run fast.In all the races I participated in last year, each competitor had his/her age written on his/her calf. This race did not have the competitor's age listed. So...I had to judge based on looks. There was this blonde female in a purple sports bra that looked around my age. She was ahead of me the entire first half of the run but then she started to lose steam. I managed to pass her with 1 mile left and pushed myself. I knew she was right behind me and I had to keep my current pace to beat her!
Here's a pic taken by the El Reno newspaper photographer. You can see the pain on my face. I crossed the finish line and thought I was having a mini heart attack. When I push myself that hard it feels like my heart is surging into my throat.
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| We're goofballs. |
Here are my results -
2 Emily Sutton 28*- Oklahoma City OK
Total time: 1:21:18
Swim: 9:43
Transition 1: 1:26
Bike: 43:40
Transition 2: 0:41
Run: 25:50 (8:38 pace)
*I'm actually 27 but they take what age you are in December. Since my birthday is in October, they count me as 28. BOO!
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| My OCCC Tri Club Friends! |
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| We WON! A license plate. |
Janna and I ended up winning second place in our age divisions! WOO HOO! Not too bad for the first TRI of the season.
This past Saturday morning Joleen & I will be rode in the American Diabetes Association Tour de Cure in Mustang, OK. It's not too late to join our team or to donate! Please consider donating for a great cause....click HERE. I'll have more on that adventure in my next blog entry! Have a great week and KEEP COOL!
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