Texas Star Tri Recap

Second race in two weeks.  I know I have a problem.  I love to race and it shows with my schedule.  ;)  This race was decided upon about a week or so before race day.  There was a card (for the second or third time) on my car when I left the YFreedom race.  It always just conflicted with the TriAggieland race, but not this year.  So it was on!  I got all registered and then realized what I had done.  It was 10 days until race day.  Good thing I had stayed on track with at least running since the YFreedom tri.  So there was that.  ;)  I went back and read the race description and realized it says it is a cross country running course.  I meant to contact the race director about that, but never got around to it.  Plugged away with my training schedule and realized I was almost in taper week again already.  Good times.

The weekend before we went back home to visit family.  Which turned into no training session on Sunday.  Well that was the last long run and swim brick....okay.  I did not really think it would get done and was not overly sad that it did not.  Perhaps I will be well rested.

Monday rolled around and it was weights....so I made the conscious decision to take that day off.  After traveling it is always hard to get back on track for me.  Plus I had so much work to get done and it was taper week after all.  Yeah...  Got the rest of the taper week training done with pretty decent paces and efficiency.
Wednesday we drove the 45 in good traffic (read it took about 1 1/2 hours) to Splashtown for the kids to play.  It was thundering and lightning.  So we ate some crap food at McDonald's, turned around and came home.  I do not like to ride so the driving is on me.  Stayed up late working on my project.

Thursday it was crummy weather so I did laundry (always do it early on race week) and got a lot of work done.

Then Friday we went back to Splashtown and got a decent day in there.  We were there for about 3 or 4 hours before we got kicked out for weather.  For me, Splashtown involves standing in the wave pool while my future triathlete swims amongst the droves of people.  I know she will do well in open water swims because the crowds of people and waves do not seem to bother her.  She also likes to swim around in one of the pools so I stand around over there.  Lots on my feet time.  =)

Saturday there is a baby shower in the same town as the race.  I got to do packet pickup then instead of race day.  =)  We drive out there and on the way back hit up Splashtown again to get in the other rides that they did not get to on Friday.  More wave pool and pool time.  I was spent!  We got home around 9:30 or 10.  It was then that I realized I had not gotten much done to prepare.

It is a good thing really that I have become pretty good at getting my stuff together for a sprint tri.  So I throw my stuff together and try to make sure that I make a mental list of what I needed to do in the morning.  I did not remember to do a few things the night before which I usually do:  Check the air in the tires and make up water bottles for the bike ride,  but the bag is packed and ready to go.  Off to bed.  The baby comes in and asks me to read a book for her.  At this point it is 11 or so, but I cannot tell her no.  So she snuggles in and I read to her.  She kept rolling over as if to go to sleep while I read.  It was too lovely to not do it.  =)

I was probably asleep by midnight with is pretty normal for the night before a race really.  Only thing is, the alarm was going off at 3 am!  And it was right on time....stupid brat!  Anywho....I actually woke up about 5 minutes before the alarm....seriously!?!



 I got up and went through my normal routine.....bathroom, did the dishes, bathroom, made up my water bottle, did some laundry, made breakfast for myself and hubby (his goes in the fridge).  I was strangely hungry so I ate around 4 am.  I got the bike and other stuff packed and took my just in case 1/2 dose of Immodium.  Not sure if that is really necessary, but it is something I started doing a long time ago and will forever keep doing it.  I needed to leave by about 4:15 or 4:30 so I would have plenty of travel time.  I made it in 1 hour 15 minutes which included the stop in the bathroom on the way in.  Thank goodness Whataburger is open 24/7 there.  It could have been a bad accident to have.  The way to the race site was very well marked and there was so much parking it was crazy!  I got my bike out and aired up the tires.  The prestavalves were fighting with me and I was thinking it was just par for the course since there were some other things that were not working out that morning too.  Being sleepy did not make it any nicer....I head over to transition, get body marked, my chip and find my spot.  There are assigned spots so it was easy enough.  Got my gear set up, put on my sunscreen and headed off to the bathroom.  After that I stopped at the car and got a bite of turkey and ate most of the banana.  This is very strange for me to be so hungry before a race.  It was a bit worrisome.  I moved on though.  I went in to check out the pool area and was so shocked!  In the small town of Montgomery, Texas who would have thought that there would be two pools in the natatorium?  Not me that is for sure.  So I would be in the water within 7 minutes of starting time instead of 15 like I had calculated.

Off to try to use the restroom one more time.  This is also just something I do.  The bathrooms were a good 3 or 4 minute walk from the pool area so I was jogging on the way back since transition was EMPTY!  They were making the announcements that no one could understand and then it was time to start EARLY!!  Wow!  The Star Spangled Banner played and then it was time.  Ear plugs, headband and swimming cap on.  Making chit chat with the traithletes around me.  Let the guy behind me know I may breast stroke if I get tired.  I always like to give a heads up.  One lady said they had gone on the bike course twice the day before and it was hilly!  At both U-turns, you turn into a hill.  Yay!

Before I knew it, it was time to get in the water.  That was the coldest water I have been in since the JCC one.  It was an awakening getting in for sure.  I pushed off and kept my pace pretty well.  I tried to not stop at the ends and felt it by the end.  But this is race day not play around day.  If it does not hurt, you are not trying hard enough.  It was two way traffic with us on the opposite side as usual for race day.  We were swimming from the left to the right of the pool.  It was not too hard to keep up with.  As the pool got deeper the line was skewed so I had to make a conscious effort to stay out of the middle of the lane.  There were some who kick a lot while they swim.  I can attest to that since their wake was strong!  Holy moly!  I did not get hit or passed and actually passed one lady.  I just realized that I DID NOT GET PASSED!  I put a time that was a bit faster than I normally swim so I was feeling the pressure to step it up at this race.  I usually put the actual time I swim the distance and get stuck behind someone without fail.  Well this water was about 13 feet deep so I was not going to get stuck treading water.  ;)

I get pulled out of the pool and take off for transition.  I felt really good about my swim even right after it.  I had counted the racks out of the pool area which is good since someone else had a brightly colored mat almost the same color as my towel.  On the run I get my goggles flipped into my swim cap.  Then in goes the headband.  I was still pulling the ear plugs out when I get to my bike.  Those get dropped on the ground.  I sit down and get my clips on.  Stand up get my gum in my mouth, sunglasses on, helmet on.  Grab my bike off the rack and off I go.

The gentleman telling us which way to go out of the parking lot was great!  He had given his entire spiel to the man in front of me.  I was about 4 or 5 seconds behind.  I said to him, "I will follow that guy!".  We had a good laugh.  And off I went.  It was uphill (small slope) out of the parking lot.  I knew it was going to be hilly after that.  It was a good sized hill right off the bat.  I was shifting all over the place.  I did end up in the largest gear I have since it was making me bounce too much no matter where I was geared in the middle ring.  The course was beautiful!  It was hilly I will give you that and there were hills right after you turned around at the two U-turns, but the scenery was lovely.  I will never understand why someone who is all aero and with the fancy helmet and bike (so I would assume they race often) will not say, "On your left" when passing on the bike.  It was windy (either from the wind or my awesome speed- ha ha).  I will tell you this though, for every uphill there is a downhill.  I managed to keep a 17 mph pace even with all of the hills.  We got one last downhill ride into the turn for the parking lot.  It was awesome to speed in like that.

Get off the bike at the dismount line and run my bike over.  My legs are protesting at this point.  I remind them we have one more little short 3 mile run to do so shut up and get with the program.  ha ha.  

Rack the bike, off with the helmet.  Off with the clips and sit down and get on my Vibrams.  I have been wearing the old shoes since they are so much easier to get on.  Stand up and get my running number belt on and I am off.  I do not grab a drink since I made sure to keep up with my water on the bike.  Planning ahead pays dividends.  We begin to go, you guessed it, up a hill on the run.  This is a pretty stready climb through the parking lot broken up with a couple of flat places.  When the description said cross country trail it was not kidding.  We went through parking lot for about 1/2 mile maybe and then it was off road.  There were trees and roots and ditches to go down and up again.  It was pretty fun really!  I was thikning of the pictures you see "What a trail runner things they will trip one (picture of a giant root), what they actually trip on (picture of a twig)"

Thank you Michael Scott (Run Nerds Rock) for finding this pic for me.


We emerge from the trees and there is an older gentleman who is breathing very heavily.  He was getting gu so I knew he was okay.  Ahead of us there is a mule type of golf cart on the path.  They are driving along the path.  I look over at him and say they are leaving us!  He laughs and starts to move a little faster.  There is more green space to run on and we move around a bank for an overflow ditch. Then I see the photographer who has already gotten my picture.  I asked him if he got the pain on my face in his shot.  He nodded yes.  I told him that was awesome.  The group of people near him begin to laugh.  I love to have fun on my races.  Otherwise, why would you do them?  It is at this point I realize how badly I wanted to walk.  I gave about 30 or 40 seconds later.  I counted and only walked for 20 seconds total.  I was following the guy in front of me who apparently was lost.  All of a sudden I hear, "Cones!  Follow the cones!"  We had gone off course.  Not far, but far enough since I had just freaking walked.  Ugh!  The lady who get my attention and I got his attention and he got back on course.  I ended up passing her since my pace was different.  About this time we are coming up on the parking lot again.  This will lead us into the track area with about a 200 m run on the track.  As we turn onto the track, the lady behind me has her family there.  They are yelling, "Go mom!  You are doing great!" or whatever other encouraging things....and then I hear her son say, "Go catch her mom!  Don't let her beat you!"  Ha ha ha!  At that point I sped up just a bit.  We come around the first turn and now shadows let me know where she is.  On the straight away I kept my spot but when we rounded the next turn, she was pulling away from me.  She was on the inside lane, but was certainly pulling away.  She had one heck of a kick and crossed before me.  I was happy for her...she was also not in my age group.  Whew!  She thanked me later for pacing her on the run.  Sure...you're welcome.  =)

Got the medal and a bottle of water.  Then it was mingling and waiting for awards.  Had someone take my picture

The award was heavy and it felt great to get first place in my AG.  First time doing the course...so a PR!  I stopped and got some Whataburger (grilled chicken sandwich) and even got some french fries.  I ate them and the bun....which I paid for the next day.  I do not eat bread so that was a treat.  I made the long drive home and was ready to be done for the day.  Yeah right!  There was shopping to be done so we could grill some chicken and then I had laundry to do and work to get done.  It is no wonder I felt horrible by Tuesday.  

All in all this was a good day.  I loved the challenge of the course and it will be a hard decision next year if scheduling conflicts between the two races again.