USAT Nationals and My first Olympic Distance Race

This years USA Triathlon National Championships were held in Burlington, VT.   USAT has a role up rule for Age Group competitors.  That means that even though I am only 28 this year while competing at nationals, I was competing as a 29 year old, and for a spot in the 30-34 Age Group for the World Championships NEXT year.  Just another nuance of having a birthday late in the year (I turn 29 in October).

Last year I competed in the sprint distance (750m swim, 20k bike, 5k run) this year, I moved up to the Olympic distance (1500m swim, 40k bike, 10k run).  All season I competed in sprints and planned to compete at USAT Nationals in the Sprint, but the race sold out many months in advance, forcing me to suck it up, and compete in the more challenging (and more competitive) Olympic distance race.

Analise helping me into my wetsuit

Lucky for me, Burlington, VT is only a 2 hour drive and short ferry ride across Lake Champlain from where I grew up in Saranac Lake, NY.   So both of my parents and my sister were able to attend.  So glad they were there - my awesome support crew!

Athletes in the F 25-29 Age Group lining up to get in the water

1800 athletes competed in Nationals this year.  Waves started at 7:30am, but I started over an hour later (8:32am) in the 15th wave based on my age group.  This is where it got interesting.   Before jumping in the water, I somehow cut open my big toe on my left foot, the ball of my right foot and a small cut on the big toe on my right foot.  I remember thinking I must have gotten a splinter or something, but by then I was in the water and it was time to go!!! 

Out of the water and into transition

For my first open water 1500m competition swim, it wasn't too bad,  though we all swam way off course after the turn buoy due to the glare on the water from the sun.  But at least everyone did, I came out of the water in 27:10.  

Start of the bike 

The bike course was my longest ride in a race so far, fairly flat with some rolling hills, I finished the 25 mile course in 1:18, averaging 19mph.  I knew at this point I would likely not place high enough to qualify for next year's World Championships but was ready to tackle the run and catch as many runners as I could.  At some point during the ride - I started to feel the stinging in my feet...

Running into the finish

I was able to catch 11 people in my age group on the run but felt my feet splitting open with every step!  It was a battle of wits to keep myself running and every mile I counted down the minutes til the finish.  I saw my father on his bike with a mile to go and yelled "I cut open my feet!!"  but just kept running...  ONE MORE MILE.  My 10k time was ~ 43:30, but it was as fast as I could run that day.

My bloody shoes and bandaged feet after the race

In the med tent having my cuts cleaned and bandaged.  How did I run a 10k like that?

In my Team USA uniform after the race

I finished in 40th place with an overall time of 2:31:50.  Not exactly what I hoped for, but I gave it everything.  It made it easier to be there and competing - for the second time ever - in the same race as my boyfriend Charles, who I met at the National Championships last year in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.   He has been an unending means of support and advice for me over the last year.  The whole Garabedian family was out on the course cheering!!  Thank you all!!!

Charles on his way to a 12th place finish, capturing a spot for the ITU  short course World Championships 2012 in Auckland, New Zealand.  (Stayed tuned to the blog for his account of the weekend - where he qualified for 2 ITU World Championship races in two days, in two states!)

Laura, Charles, and Christina in Burlington, VT

PT Solutions Womens Triathlon in Acworth- 2nd Age Group

On August 7th, I competed in the PT Solutions All Womens Triathlon in Acworth, GA - my last race before the National Championships coming up Burlington, VT on August 20th.   This was another sprint, very short, 400m swim, 13 mile bike, 5k run, with 600 competitors.  I also did this race last year so had to opportunity to gauge my progress over the year.

Lining up for start, I'm the third person in the pic, we are the last wave of 8.

Several friends of mine were there competing in there first triathlon, Danielle and Kristy, and Renee in her third triathlon.  Danielle and Kristy are in my age group so we all got to start together, they are also stellar swimmers.  I felt very strong in the swim and was 6th out of the water in my wave in 6:15 with a quick run through the sand to transition.  Both Danielle and Kristy beat me in the swim but I passed them in transition, mine was 45 seconds.  Don't worry guys, you'll get transitions down!!

The bike course was a rolling hills loop, nothing too steep, and I had a great split, coming in at 38 mins.   Last year my time on the course was almost 44 minutes.  My friend and competitor Rebecca Rush, who finished second to me at IronGirl, caught up to me on the bike with a mile to go and we smashed through the last mile together.  My second transition was 37 seconds.

Danielle, Kristy, Laura (me), Renee after finishing

The run was hilly and long, about 3.25 miles instead of 5k.  I didn't have a great run, only clocking 22 mins.

My overall time was 1:08:36, good enough for 7th overall and 2nd in my age group, 4 mins back from the overall winner.   Competition was much more stacked this year, as last year my time would have won my age group by 3 minutes.  I also finished second AG last year, but my time was 1:17 then, so I knocked off 9 minutes.  I would say that is progress.  Thanks Coach Steve!!

Danielle and Kristy had great races too and may have caught the triathlon bug!  Great job ladies!!

From my second place finish last year, 9 mins slower than this year

Crow Lake Sprint Triathlon - 2nd overall

Sunday July 17th I competed in the Tri to Remember Crow Lake Sprint Triathlon in Jefferson, GA.    This was a short sprint:   400m swim, 15mile bike, 5k trail run.   This one was a lot of fun.  For the swim, we crossed a small lake to the transition area where I was 3rd out of the water.

Exiting the water. 

From there the bike course was a rolling hills out-and-back, where I clocked in my fastest bike split of the season.  Maybe I'm finally beginning to make some progress there!  I was able to catch the two women in front of me from the swim fairly easily but was passed by two women on the course and came into transition in third place, feeling good.

Hurt face on the bike, mile 14.

The trail run reminded me of running cross country in high school.  The trail was a mess with sections of tall grass, mud, wooden planks, and many dips and holes in the ground along the way.  I almost fell on my face a few times!  My run time wasn't anything special considering the terrain, but I turned in the fastest run time for all women competitors, something like 21 mins.  (Finally starting to feel better in the run after my calf injury in May).  My run was enough to catch one of the women who passed me on the bike and capture second overall, first place age group.

Running into the finish - the one part of the trail that was decently kept.

The woman who beat me is a seasoned triathlete who won her age group at Nationals last year, as well as First Place in her age group at the Kona Ironman World Championships - Laura Sophiea.  However, she is in the 55-59 age group, so I really need to close that gap!!!  

Awards:  with overall winner, Laura Sopheia (Ironman AG World Champion 55-59)

One year of triathlon training

A year ago this month I started working with my coach, Steve Pyle, of Boulder, Colorado.  Since then I have completely changed as an athlete, both mentally and physically, to how I approach my training and racing.

My body transformation:
This time last year I weighed 122 lbs and had 20% body fat.  Today, I weigh 113 lbs and have 13% body fat.  That's the same body composition I had when I was an 18 year old running Division I Cross Country and Track for the University of Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns.

This year, last year (sorry I don't have an action shot from last year!)

In the course of the past year, Steve has built me up from 7 hours of training a week to 12-14.  Before starting with Steve, I had never clipped into the pedals on a bike before, or ridden more than 20 miles.  I had never done a sprint workout in the pool or had any kind of coaching in swimming at all.   Now a 50+ mile bike ride is an every weekend activity, and it's rare to swim less than 3000yds every time I'm in the water.  My run workouts are mostly tempo builds, since my run is already very strong.  But these workouts are more than enough to have dropped my 5k back to my peak performance times in college.

With respect to the weight loss - I have met with nutritionist, Dr. Dan Benardot, from Georgia State University, but have made very little changes to my diet.  I've always eaten fairly healthy.  The biggest changes I've made are drinking sports drinks instead of water in workouts, and eating more often, and in smaller portions during the day.  But in general, the weight and fat came off slowly and naturally as my body adjusted to the training schedule.  Not to say I was in bad shape last year, but being lean makes running fast, and riding a bike uphill, a lot easier.

Indian Springs Park Aquabike and Lake Placid Sprint Triathlon

Sorry to everyone for not posting in so long!!  I know I owe you!!  So let's get you all caught up!   My race season hasn't been exactly what I was hoping because of pulling my calf back in May.  But I have gotten in two more races to tell you about, with another coming up this weekend.

Indian Springs Park Aquabike:
This was my first time competing in an Aquabike event, where all you do is the swim and bike, as the name suggests.  It was a short 600m swim and 15 mile bike.  I was the overall female finisher, but there was no competition.  I felt like I was cheating after getting off the bike and crossing the finish line without doing the run.  It was my first time experiencing the sun rise glare on the water.  I turned the last buoy and realized, I couldn't see anything, not the next buoy, not even the shore, so siting was out of the question.  I had to follow the swimmers in front of me and we all went about 50 yards off course!    Sorry, no pictures from this race either.

Lake Placid Sprint:
So beautiful to swim in Mirror Lake, same location as the Lake Placid Ironman, just two weeks away!  This race had an exceptionally short swim, 400m swim, 20k bike, 5k run.

Lining up for the start

Dad watching the swim

Best part was it was the first time several of my family members got to see me race and were there cheering for me.  Thanks Mom, Dad, Nick, Monique, and Liam!!  

Exiting the water after the Lake Placid Sprint Swim

This was a great race, I took first in my age group and 2nd overall, and had my fastest bike split yet.  My run is still suffering a little from the injury and time off, but coming back quickly.  I was only a minute behind the 1st place overall finisher, but my run was a slow 20:50, nothing like my 18:48 at the Irongirl.  I'm being patient but ready to be running fast off the bike again. 

Coming into the finish in 2nd overall, passing the women on relay teams, and one close overall contender

Teva Mountain Games Mud Run

June 4th I headed up to Vail, Colorado for the Teva Mountain Games!  Perfect place for anyone who loves competing in or watching outdoor sports:  kayaking, mountain bike racing, rock climbing, running (half marathon went up Vail pass), even fishing, and events for your dog!  It's also at an elevation of 8150 ft!

So doing a race there was an experience!  Because of the strain in my calf all I signed up for was the 2 mile Mud Run, short and sweet, you made three loops along an course with a decent hill and ~10 yard mud pit to run through.  The majority of the people doing the mud run do it to get dirty!! - so only a few women were actually competing in it.  The announcer was kind enough to point out who the defending champ was before the race so I decided to just let her (Jax Swartz) pace the race and not run harder than I had to - in case my calf started to hurt.
 

Completing the first loop stride for stride with defending "Mud Queen" , Jax Swartz.

Racing at 8150 feet was nothing like sea level, though it was a comfortable 6:15 pace, my lungs were burning from the thin air.  But it was really fun!  The mud didn't slow either of us down and I managed to pull away on the last hill.  

Some pics following the race, To clean off we were sprayed with a fire hose, brrr!

 I went on the complete the course in about 12:30.  Edging out Jax and capturing the 2011 Teva Games "Mud Queen" title.  Check out her website as she is using running to raise money for cancer research and awareness. 

Disappointing Bolder Boulder Scratch

Sadly, the reality of training as hard and often as I do now, is that injuries happen.  Thursday May 26, I was in Boulder, CO out on a run gearing up for the 33rd annual Memorial Day Bolder Boulder 10k when I got a sharp and sudden pain in my calf. 

On Friday - I tried Acupuncture for the first time with Eric Meleney at Jade Mountain Health, what an experience!  I don't like needles, so that it didn't hurt and actually helped relieve some of the tightness and pain was a pleasant surprise.  Next, I saw Physical Therapist, Bob Cranny (Altitude Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine), who works with triathlons' top athletes, including Chrissie Wellington, 3 time Ironman World Champion. What felt like a bad cramp turned out to be a small strain to the muscle and aggravation of an existing injury that never healed.  His diagnosis requires about 10 days off from running and I had to drop out of the Bolder Boulder.  Oh well, I'll get it next year!  For now, I'll focus on my weaknesses - the swim and the bike.

PT Bob Cranny working on my strained calf - ouch!

But I did go walk the Bolder Boulder Course - and got to see the race in a way I never do when I'm up front racing it.  Walking the course I got to see the bands, the festivities, the kegs, the slip-n-slides, Popsicles, Doritos, marshmellows all over the road (it was sticky for nearly a half mile), the costumes, all the characters, and the cups!  SO many water cups!

Stopping to hula-hoop along the Bolder Boulder course with some costumed runners

Just a few water cups