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