What's Next?

And so, what's next?  After the 2011 season of training with Coach Steve Pyle, we say our goodbyes and I am moving on to a new coach for the 2012 season.  I have joined the Endurance Concepts Team in Atlanta, where I will be training with Head Coach, Dan Arnett (who oddly enough, also has a BS degree in Physics!!).

My main goals for the upcoming season are to qualify for 2013 World Championships in London and the 2012 Aquathlon World Championships in Auckland, New Zealand.  I am also moving on and up from the Sprint distance to the Olympic distance this season.  Some more minor goals are to PR in the 10k and half marathon this season.

I cannot thank everyone enough who has supported me and contributed to my season.  It would not be possible to get though everything (school, teaching, training, etc.) without knowing that there are a lot of people out there who believe in me and have my back!

Though my triathlon season is over and off-season training begun, I have competed in two races.  The Calvary Baptist Turkey Trot, where I ran to a first place overall finish and a new 5k PR.  And the AGU 5k in San Francisco where I had a 3rd place overall finish in 19:01.  I believe I have a great season ahead.

Mom, Nick, Monique, Liam, Analise, Me, Uncle Mike, Aunt Kelly, Erin, Ashley, all competing in the Turkey Trot 5k with many PR's among the group and finishers in the top 4 spots AG, including an AG win for Analise and 3rd place AG for Nick.  Love you guys!!  

In other news, this is a big year in many ways - my sister is getting married, and I will be defending my dissertation this summer.  Some big life changes are heading my way and I look forward to sharing them with you.

Tri to Remember Open Water Swim and Lake Lanier Triathlon Double

I decided to end my season with one more weekend of racing, to get the disappointment of the WC off my mind.  So Saturday, October 1, I competed in the Tri to Remember Splash 1k open water swim event, followed by the Lake Lanier Sprint Triathlon (400m swim, 13mile bike, 5k run) on Sunday, October 2.

Laura, Karen, Hanna, and Corrine

The open water swim was a first annual event offering a 1k or 2k.  Since I was racing the next day I opted for the shorter race and headed to the lake with the best swimming partner ever, Karen!  Though there were only about 20 people in our wave (about 60 total) and the race was very disorganized, the two of us finished 1-2 overall!  Including the men!  Karen came out of the water in under 17 minutes, with me, 'shortly' behind in 18:40.

 Karen and Laura on Lake Lanier beach

Karen went on to take first place in her age group the next weekend at the Eric Shanteau Swim for Your Life!
 

Karen with Aaron Perisol, Congrats girl!!  You rocked it!!

The next day I competed in the Lake Lanier Islands Sprint Triathlon (400m swim, 13mile bike, 5k run).  It was a brutally cold morning and I was so thankful to be in my wetsuit!  I was 5th out of water in about 6 minutes and made it quickly out of T1 and onto the bike.  I felt like a Popsicle out there with numb hands and feet.  I had a strong ride (for me) easily passing a few women (and plenty of men) in front of me, but getting caught by the top 2 ladies.  My time was just under 40 minutes.  Coming into T2 my hands and feet were so cold and numb I couldn't get my shoes on and lost a few seconds fumbling around with them.

It felt like my feet were covered with a layer of clay running on them like that.  The out and back run let me see that the gap between the top 5 women and the rest of field was pretty large!  It was a very competitive run out there, my time being slow for me at around 20 minutes, and I crossed the finish line in 5th overall - winning my age group by over 11 minutes.   I clocked a final time of 1:10:04.

Lake Lanier 25-29 Age Group Winners

It has been a really fun season for me and I look forward to 2012.

Guest Blog: Two ITU World Qualifiers in 2 days in 2 states!

And I thought nationals was a tough race.  My first Olympic Distance race (1500m swim, 40km bike, 10k run) made me pretty tired and sore the next day. I can't imagine, being up all night, and then doing a Half Ironman (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run) the next day.  But that's exactly what my (crazy) boyfriend Charles did that weekend.  Here's his story.  Enjoy!  ~Laura

" I think it was around midnight that the complete madness and absurdity of the weekend adventure became surreal.  In summary, it was an intriguing rollercoaster of emotions, exhaustion, and overwhelming frustration and yet a glimmer of accomplishment.

Charles and Laura at Lake Champlain for a swim the day before the USAT National Championships in Burlington ,VT (August 20,2011) 

Burlington – USAT Nationals

Tucked away in my bed I was getting prepared for USAT Nationals on Sat morning. With 18 slots per age group up for grabs in the 2012 ITU World Championships in New Zealand, the competition as always is stacked. Going to the last few nationals races, anything can happen on the course to make or ruin a day and missing out on a slot, after all top 18 were separated by six minutes on an olympic distance course.

Without going into much detail the race went well, other than a major swim blunder, but I finished in the top 12, exactly where I was last year. Given all the set back this year I felt this was an accomplishment but at the same time sort of a disappointment.  Where most people’s story would finish here with celebratory beers, my real adventure was only beginning.

Charles exiting the water (in Boulder, CO)

Upon completion of crossing the finish line and over exaggerating a dehydrated stagger to possibly get an IV, I was instead greeted by a man wearing a blue polo shirt. He said are you Charles Garabedian, responding yes, I thought I was about to find out I committed a crime, or got caught clubbing a baby seal. He firmly said come with me, not knowing who he was or what was in his clipboard, I promptly obliged. I asked him if he could hand me water as we left – he promptly replied that I would have to get one myself and he couldn’t give me one.

Walking away from the finish line and away from the race, he finally revealed I was selected at “random” by USADA for drug testing. I was brought into a room with ten other athletes. My photo was taken as I did not have identification on me to prove I was indeed me. At which point the randomness of this test only pertained to people that had finished the race within the top ten of their age group. Upon providing 3 oz of urine for an A and B sample which seems to be a triathlon in itself - I was off and on my way to transition to get the bike packed for a short little trip to Cedar Rapids Iowa. 

Charles coming into T2 - get that helmet off!!

Packing a bike in a soft case takes little effort as it becomes second nature when you compete a lot. However doing it with inquisitive parents and in a hotel parking lot in the high heat of the day took some composure. Checking into my flight, my 2:50 P.M flight had been delayed. No problem, No panic, I’ll go get food with my parents. 2:50 became 5:45 P.M for a scheduled departure. I arrived at the Burlington Airport at 4:45, bike bag was checked and the only thing left was to hop on the plane. United provided me with a “boarding pass.” Going through TSA I was asked to provide my boarding pass, I gave the agent what the United Employee had given me. He told me it wasn’t correct documentation and I need a different boarding pass.

5:10 P.M. – I went back to United to get a boarding pass, and was told to go to the end of the line, even though their incompetence is what had me at the ticket counter.  With three people working the desk and irate customers (four flights had been delayed by 5+ hours) the United employees were deer in headlights. They refused to reissue me a boarding pass because I went into the priority line. After pleading for ten minutes they took the thirty seconds needed to provide me with the correct boarding pass. Being stuck behind the one person who had a body congested of metal shrapnel, the flight to Chicago w/ connections to Iowa left without me. The bike was also not pulled off the plane as every airline is supposed to do.  The next scheduled plane to depart was of course delayed until 10:30 pm. With no chance in hell of getting farther than Chicago, my blood was boiling in rage. Very rarely do I get angry enough to want to violently harm people – I could have taken a flame thrower to the Burlington Airport. I understand how people can go postal.

A very frustrated Charles en route to the Chicago rental car pickup area  around 1am, with a 4 hour drive ahead...

My flight took off to Chicago and knowing I had a long night ahead of me, I slept for about twenty minutes on the flight.  The smell from my wet sweaty racing flats was repulsive and filling the cockpit every time I whiffed the air. I’m surprised they didn’t turn the plane around.  The flight arrived in Chicago around midnight. Turns out my bike had been checked all the way through to Cedar Rapids Airport, and I was in Chicago. With rental car keys in my hand and enough anger to fuel an obsession I drove throughout the night with the guidance of any awake friends [those friends being me and Susan C]. They took care of the details for me, as they realized I was at wits end. Such as giving me directions over the phone to even get to Iowa or simply getting the Cedar Rapids Airport to deliver my bike to the Marriot where Brendan , Dave, and Wendy were staying.

4:30 AM - I arrived in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. As I opened the hotel door, Brendan was out of bed and chuckling at the ghostly sleepy eyed creature that just entered.  Just enough time to build the bike up and head off to the race start. I could have collapsed right there. Dave and Wendy were kind enough to feed me any remaining food they had. The banana and cinnamon bagel was absolute gold. I tried sleeping in the car, I realized my efforts were of no use.

Charles on Pigman 56 mile bike course

Onward to the transition area I had already put my bike on the wrong wave’s rack – received a time penalty for riding my bike in transition area without a helmet. Or as I saw it sitting on my bike and getting my shoes clipped into the pedals.  Just any additional little ways I could dig the hole a little deeper. After getting a twenty minute lecture on transition etiquette by the head USAT Referee I was able to get the time penalty removed on an emotional plea of all the stress preceding the race start.

Charles in the Half Marathon at Pigman

With nothing more than a vapor trail of remaining energy – the race director let us loose onto the course. The hardest aspect of racing tired is not the physical push but more the mental capacity to handle the small things. All thing considered – I raced to what my body could push through and got the last reaming slot for the ITU World Championships in November – where I will enjoy a much more relaxed travel experience, with Brendan and David."

~Charles G.

Best of Luck to Charles, Brendan, and Dave at the ITU Long Course World Championships (2.5 mile swim, 75 mile bike, 18 mile run) in Las Vegas on November 6th.

Stay tuned for my blog about my last race of the season and more about China.
~Laura

ITU Triathlon World Championships in Beijing, China

I'll keep this post solely about the World Championship race in Beijing.  Soon I'll be posting some pictures and stories about the other adventures I experienced while in China, other than the race.

By the fountain the Fengshan Hot Springs Resort where we stayed right on the race course

When Analise and I arrived in China it was a smoggy, hazy mess and I didn't know how I would cope with the horrible air-quality and my asthma.  But the next night it poured rain and allowed us to have one beautiful day for swim training in the Shisanling Reservoir.

At the Shisanling Reservoir, our one clear day in China

The morning of the race was pouring rain and freezing cold, about 40 degrees.  The tent for athletes to pick up their chips was flooded and leaking and packed with people trying to stay dry before setting up their transition area.  I was so lucky to have Analise there to take my warmups as we headed to line up, it let me stay 'warm' just a little bit longer.

Freezing along side some other Team USA athletes before the start, luckily I was still in my warmups!

No wetsuits were allowed for this race, and being in the water was the only time the entire race that I felt warm.  I guess the water temp was around 78 degrees.  Finally, I had to give up my layers and head to staging area.

Pulling on my goggles - getting ready for the start.

It was a real bonding experience as the girls with me in my age group all huddled together to stay warm, from many countries all around the world, and many different languages, not knowing each other, but standing arm-to-arm to stay warm and dry as long as possible before taking the plunge into the reservoir.

Women in the 25-29 age group in the staging area

My wave started at 6:45 am.  I had a great swim, out of the water in about 14 minutes and 8th in my wave.  I felt strong on the bike but struggled to climb the large hill that began the loop.  Even climbing wasn't enough to really warm me up, my hands went numb within a few minutes.   I came into T2 with an Australian girl and was off on the run!  I started running with another Australian girl, not realizing that she was a different girl than I came into transition with, and she was a lap ahead of me.  We ran stride for stride at a sub-6 minute pace, and somewhere in the next 4000 meters I got confused as to where I was on the course and made the left turn to the finish a lap early, cutting 1000 meters from the run.

By the time I realized what happened, it was too late, and I was disqualified.   I wish I could blame the cold, how numb my entire body was, or blame poor course planning, just one sign saying where I was on the course, or how long each lap was, one glance at my watch and I would have known my time was off, but I should have known the course better.  50 other athletes made the same wrong turn that Saturday morning and we were all DQ'd.

Crossing the finish line at the 2011 ITU World Championships

So, all I can say is that my experience in China was bittersweet.  It was an honor to compete there along with the Worlds best short course triathletes, but coming home with a DQ is the much less than ideal turnout I hoped for.  Had I completed the proper distance on the run, considering I held my pace, I would have finished 6th or 7th in my age group and likely caught and passed the one USA girl in front of me, the 25-29 AG 2010 Sprint National Champ.

But I can't look at the could haves, and should haves, or might have beens.  All I can do is look at next year - where I'll be competing in the 2012 Aquathlon World Championships (run-swim-run) in Auckland, New Zealand, and have a strong showing at next's years national championships in Burlington, VT to earn my spot at the 2013 World Championships in London.

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