Race Reports here!

[taratru]

Let's hear 'em!

[taratru]

I raced today for the first time in three months.  Yay!  I went with a couple of friends on a whim, with no expectations.  My friend asked me what I was going to run today and I said, "I really don't know what I'm going to do today." Ha!  So I warmed up for about half a mile and then took off.  Thought I'd aim for an 8:00 pace and just see how I felt.  Mile 1 - 7:45, ok...feeling good.  Mile 2 - 7:45, ok...that's weird, but still good.  Let's see what's left.  Mile 3 - balls, I'm tired...oh! this finishes on a LOVELY downhill!  Yay! I think it was a 7:25?  I haven't plugged in my Garmin yet.  I finished in 23:22, good for 2nd in my AG.  

Good things: I felt good, my Achilles felt good, I *totally* could have gone harder, I was just afraid. Great course with a solid uphill at .75-ish, but the rest flat with a downhill finish.  Awesome shirt design and great post race food.  I ran a really difficult 22:50 in June (wind and hills, oh my), so I feel like I haven't lost as much as I feared I had through this summer of low, slow mileage.

Bad things: I'm out of the racing groove for sure, it was hard to stay mentally engaged, even for a 5k. No age group awards!  Only top 5 overall, and the top 4 spots were taken by this group of traveling Japanese Mizuno runners...I was 9th woman overall, so I would have gotten one.  Womp womp.  

The winning woman ran a 16:51.     

[Susie]

I did an Oly tri on Saturday. It was... so so.

Swim:  22:33
T1:    2:21
Bike:    1:26:36, 17.3 mph
T2:    1:06
Run:    1:06:30, 10:44 m/m

Final:  2:59:06, 12th AG.

Swim was fine.  It's an ongoing frustration of mine to start in like heat 6 and have to swim up and through a bunch of heats.  I got out of the water with people 3-4 heats ahead of mine.  But unless I make elite level, it is what it is.  I wish people did not breaststroke kick around going around the buoys - on one hand I know why they do it, but OTOH, people, it is the single most congested place on the course.  STOP KICKING EVERYONE NEAR YOU.

T1 was slower than usual because my fingers kept slipping trying to tighten my shoes (it rained before the race and even a little during the swim).  Oh well.

Bike was wet from the morning's rain.  I was covered in road grit when I finished.  I played it safe, but still had a faster avg speed than usual.  Bike split PR, yay.  I think I might have pushed it a little too hard, but live and learn.

T2 was fine.

Run was a disaster.  It was probably 80* and 80-some % humidity, and I fall apart under those conditions.  My hip was bothering me, and I'd pushed the bike, and overall it was just a bad combination.  It did not help that I was badly missing my Garmin.  It was twice around a 5k course, which was about 2 miles of uphill with some flats, 1 mile steeper downhill.  There was no mile marker until mile 2/5, when you've done all the miserable up.  I'd have killed for a 1/4 mile marker, just to feel like I'd made some progress.

Anyway, no PR, but at least I did not go over 3 hrs.  It also marked the end of a bike-crash-free tri season, which for me is a yay.

[gt7301b]

No racing for me, but Mr. GT and his friend ran the rock n roll Va Beach half in 1:27 something. They haven't posted the official time yet, but it looks like they were the top all male group in the relay. I actually had to clear the transition area for Mr. GT cause he was the first relay to come through the transition area. We only saw one other relay team come through the transition in the 5-10 minutes we were there after Mr. GT finished.

[gt7301b]

Congrats ladies!!

taratru that is fast!!!

[jreeds]

Rocked my race on Saturday despite a nasty cough I've been fighting. Finished in 28:11, 4th in my AG!
However now this sinus junk is kicking my ass

[crewmndy]

Nice job ladies! Reading recaps is always so motivating.

[clseale]

Congrats, everyone! Great job!!

[bluedaisyus]

My race was Saturday. I went in with a goal of running at least half of it. I had a REALLY crappy final training run on Thursday so I wasn't feeling too optimistic about how much I could do, but I thought that was a realistic goal. It was mid-70s when the race started and mid-80s by the time it was over, but most of it was really shaded (in a small town through tree lined neighborhoods) so it wasn't that bad. We started off on a brick street which was kind of weird since I'd never run on that before, and there was a huge hill right at the beginning as well. Ugh!

I stayed with a friend from my running group who is about the same speed as me (aka super slow). I made it the first .75 before walking. I started running again at 1 mile, caught up to her and made it another .75 before walking again. I started running again right around mile 2 and caught up with her again. I figured out that at that point I had already achieved my goal since I had already run 1.5 total, but I decided I was going to try to make it the rest of the way running. I made it almost there and then felt nauseous so I walked for maybe a tenth of a mile while my friend pushed on.

I came up on a member of the group who had sprained her ankle early on (not running, but she had to drop out), she had a sign and was cheering with one of the group mentors and her dog. I started running again and the mentor ran with me the rest of the way in, telling me that I was doing great and pushing me to get in, saying how proud she was and how great I was doing. There was another mentor at the very end, too, and the rest of my training group was waiting at the finish line cheering and they all gave me high fives as I came over. It was SO AWESOME. And it felt so good to be done and to stand with them at the end to cheer on the people who came in after me. I didn't have a fast time at all (seriously I'm a little embarrassed to post my time here, I'll just say that it was under 50 minutes ), but I am so happy that I was able to run so much of it. All told I probably walked a little over half a mile, but my phone GPS said I went 3.28 miles total (I started it as I crossed the start/finish lines and friends had similar distances, but it was my phone so who knows). I RAN OVER 2.5 MILES. This is a huge accomplishment for me, and I'm so close to my goal of running an entire 5k!

[ddi741]

  I did a 5k Color run on Saturday morning. It's not timed but my friend and I timed ourselves. We were able to finish in about 37 minutes which was great considering the conjestion, we had to walk alot.
It was really hot and humid and they ran out of water at the water station at mile 2.

It was a lot of fun though. If anyone is considering doing one, definitely try it.  The people watching is spectacular, some great costumes, watching people rolling through the color stations.  I would definitely do it again. 

[kams]

I raced the 505 Triathlon: 1 mile swim, 40 mile bike, 9.5 mile run = 50.5 miles

Swim was great. Two loops, sun was rising so spotting was difficult, 76 degrees and wetsuit legal. Relatively minimal contact despite mass deep water start. 30:13

T1: Uneventful. Took extra time to sunscreen. 1:13

Bike was brutal. Exit transition on a 14% grade boat ramp. Just shy of 2000ft of climbing. Really rough roads for 13 of the miles. Avg speed 17.3 mph. I'm ok with that on this course. 2:18:05

T2: Also uneventful. Extra time to sunscreen. 1:18

Run: Excruciating. The hills were out of this world (in the pic you can see I am at the top of one of the many climbs). It was so hot, humid, and exposed. Mixed terrain: pavement & trail. Took gu & water at miles 1, 4, 7. Salt tabs & water at miles 2 & 5. Sipped accelerade throughout. 1:40:46

Finish time: 4:31:12. AG 2nd, 16th OA

Most painful part of the whole thing: a damn ant bite. That sucker got under the strap of my flip flop after the race and chomped away at my poor foot. It still hurts!!

[trigal]

I did any Oly tri on Saturday (with Susie!). I have done very little training since Ironman, so I had zero expectations. Zero. I knew the run would suck since I've only done two 3-mile runs since IM.

Swim was okay. I chose not to wear my wetsuit, but to try my new swimskin. I hate wearing a wetsuit, but I have to be okay with a slower swim. I'm not super fast in the water, but I passed lots of people in my heat and many heats ahead. At one point, as I sighted, I couldn't see anyone else with the same color swim cap! However, that really meant that the super fast swimmers (like susie) were way ahead of me. Swim time was 28:29 for 1.5K (.9 mile).

T1 - slow. After so many long distance tris, I don't really practice transitions like I should. New goal for next year. However, my slowness also stemmed from trying to baby a toenail that was refusing to fall all the way off. I had to put on my socks very slowly so I didn't rip it off! (You'll be glad to know that the nail has now fallen off...)

Bike - well, my memory was that this course was flatter than it was, but it was mostly rollers, no major climbs. I was pretty happy with my ride though. I averaged about 18.5mph.

T2 - slow. I really should work on that!!

Run - This was my problem. It's a two-loop course with several hills, so it isn't easy. Unfortunately, my right IT band started to bother me. I stopped to stretch, but it didn't help. What bums me about that the most is that I've already had surgery on my left IT band! I may just have to get the doc to go back in and fix this one too. But, I managed to keep my pace at about 9:45. My unrecovered quads hurt though!

Not my fastest Oly, but not my slowest either. Great day though!

[taratru]

kams how do you look so effing good ALL THE TIME?!?!

[taratru]

kams how do you look so effing good ALL THE TIME?!?!

[kams]

Sept 2, 2013 17:52:37 GMT -5 taratru said:

kams how do you look so effing good ALL THE TIME?!?!

LOL whatever! You know the truth!

I wonder the same of YOU!  

[secretlyevil]

Congrats to all of you!

[clseale]

Awesome work, girls! Holy freakin hills, kams!!

[jchokie79]

Love all the race reports, you ladies never cease to amaze me!

[emilyj]

Great job everyone!!

[jene]

Sept 2, 2013 18:01:50 GMT -5 kams said:

Sept 2, 2013 17:52:37 GMT -5 taratru said:

kams how do you look so effing good ALL THE TIME?!?!

LOL whatever! You know the truth!

I wonder the same of YOU!  

True story, I was buying some new running sunglasses today, and I thought "maybe I will find a pair that will make me look awesome like kams".

No dice, lol

[kams]

Sept 2, 2013 20:50:36 GMT -5 jene said:

True story, I was buying some new running sunglasses today, and I thought "maybe I will find a pair that will make me look awesome like kams".

No dice, lol

Oh my gosh you stop it! 

I actually did NOT wear my humungous sunnies this time! I love those sunglasses, but I have a feeling I will look back at my race pics in 10/20 years and be so embarrassed by my "fashion" choices, ha!

[libbygrl109]

Great job to all of you!

[melmel48]

Did a 5k on a whim and set a new PR for myself! It was humid and poured for an hour before the race. I was actually hoping it would rain during the race, but it didn't. I stopped a few times; for a few seconds each.

My friend came in 3rd in his age group!!

[breezy8407]

Sept 2, 2013 17:52:37 GMT -5 taratru said:

kams how do you look so effing good ALL THE TIME?!?!

Agree!

kams you look awesome and the hills behind you?!? I die. 

[kams]

Sept 3, 2013 9:17:13 GMT -5 breezy8407 said:

Sept 2, 2013 17:52:37 GMT -5 taratru said:

kams how do you look so effing good ALL THE TIME?!?!

Agree!

kams you look awesome and the hills behind you?!? I die. 

My legs are still talking to me. I did do a bit of hill walking though. So. Hot.

[marclovesme]

I had a 5K yesterday at 9:30am and was regretting the decision in the days prior. It was forecast, and ended up being, around 80 degrees and 90% humidity at the start of the race and I'm used to running in minimal humidity and cooler temperatures.

Then my Garmin flaked out just before the start, so I had no clue on my pace or distance. They had mile markers and the track was USATF certified, but I know it was off from mile 3 to the finish.

Mile 1 was downhill and I ran 7:05, mile 2 was fairly flat and I ran a 7:12, mile 3 was the brutal uphill return on the loop and I ran it in about 10 minutes based on my final time of 24:17. In the end, I was REALLY happy to be done and go inside. I finished 26th overall and 6th for women.

[jamalynn]

Had a 10k race yesterday. It's a fast race and a Peachtree Qualifier so I wasn't expecting much. I had run a lot this summer but not in the past 3 weeks. I hadn't run this race in about 5 years so I was hoping for a course PR. It started raining one mo,e into the race and I don't mean a sprinkle. It down poured! But I got a course PR and was only 2 seconds away from my 10k PR. 6th in AG which I thought was pretty good considering the caliber of runners.

[mrsjthompson]

I ran the Saints Back to Football 5K in hot humid New Orleans Saturday. I've had some problems with shin splints so I'd gone from hoping for a PR to just hoping to run some of it. At 8 am it was 83 degrees with a heat index of 91.

The course was nice and flat, and about a half mile in DH and I met a very nice man named Glen. Glen is in his mid 50's and was running his first 5K with his housemate who takes care of him since his mother died. He is special needs. He liked our run/walk intervals an declared he was sticking with us. He was so excited when he found out we would get a medal. It was hot and we encouraged him not to give up and he was really encouraging of me, telling me how great I was doing. It made the race go by super fast.  The really cool part about this race is running through the tunnel at the Superdome and finishing on the 50 yard line.

So, my legs did great and I got better than my A goal for a PR! My only complaint is that for as hot as it was, there should've been more than one water stop.  I was thrilled with my time though.