Teva Mountain Games 2012

The Teva Mountain Games in Vail, Colorado are an outdoor sportsman's paradise!  They have everything from kayaking, fly fishing, rock climbing, trail running, to slack lining and more!

Can't complain about racing with this view!

This year I competed in the spectator favorite, Mud Run, and the road bike time trial.  last year I had to fight for the win in the Mud Run but this year ran easily to finish in first.  The mud this year was a strange concoction that felt more like lotion and wasn't very dark or messy compared to the thick mess we ran through last year.  But, they did put streamers over the pit forcing you to crawl through it.

Cruising in the mud run, it was much colder this year  than last year

Mud soaked hair, and mud in my eyes

The crowd actually boo'ed me on the first lap for not getting muddy enough, despite being far out in front! I banged up my knees pretty bad on the next two laps - ouch!

Clean up in the freezing creek!

I didn't really know what I was getting myself into with the road bike time trail.  I knew it was only 10 miles, but that we would be climbing almost 2000ft in that distance, and ending at an altitude near 10,000 ft.  Not only was it challenging for me to climb for that distance, but the lack of oxygen in the air compared to Atlanta was quite evident!  Also, we had three categories to chose to race in:  Open, Masters, and Beginners.  I don't qualify for masters and thought I was above the beginner level.  Little did I know that that put me in the professional category with all the pro-women cyclists!

Profile of the climb (green) My heart rate in red, and Speed in blue.

About the start the time trial

I didn't place well against those fast ladies, 33 out of 34, taking me 46 mins to get up the mountain, where most of the top women were at or even below 40 mins.  However, I would have been 3rd in the beginner category, so maybe that's where I should have been racing.  The first half of the race, I didn't really feel like it was uphill, but once I hit the WALL (about 20 mins in) , it was all I could do to concentrate on my breathing and keep pedaling to get up the hill!  It was a great experience, all the girls were so sweet and supportive on the course.  I can't believe I'm saying this, but I look forward to giving it another try next year!

The agonizing climb up Vail pass

Again, making a mistake here with my form on the bike, pointing my toes like a ballerina, more power with the foot flat, heal down.

And if you thought I had a busy weekend, Charles did the Ultimate Mountain Challenge!  This involves completing 4 events in 2 days:  A down river kayak sprint, mountain bike race, 7.5 mile trail run, and the 10 mile road bike time trial I did - all at ~9000 feet!

                

Charles in the 4 events, making it look easy 

The most exciting part of his weekend was the kayaking race.  It was only his 2nd time in a kayak, and the water was about 45 or 50 degrees.  After several spills in the water I think I was having as much of a heart attack as he was, but he can do that underwater exit pretty well!  There was excitement around the Mountain bike race as well when a thunderstorm rolled in minutes before the race started and we had to duck under a staircase with other athletes to wait it out.  It proved to be some good cuddle time to stay warm and the first time either of us sat down to relax in two days.

Several other buddies made the trip to Vail and fared well in their respective events, Gaby in the 13.8 mile Half Marathon ;) , Chuck in the Mountain bike race and Doggy 5k with his best friend Levi (3rd place OA!)  and, Laurie F. and Lindsey M. in the 7.5 mile (uphill) trail run.  Great job everyone, looking forward to next year!

Chuck in the Mountain Bike race and 3rd place doggy 5k winner, Levi!

The boys after the MTB race.

kayak, paddle, life jacket, 3 bikes, 4 wheel sets, 10 pairs of shoes, towels, 3 helmets, bike pump, bag of goodies, beer, - and that's just some of the gear required to bring to Teva Mountain Games

And it takes just a little gear to go to the Teva Mt Games, we somehow fit it all in the car, good thing the man drives a Subaru!  (official sponsor of my team this year, Endurance Concepts). 

Memphis in May 5150 Triathlon

 The Memphis in May Sprint triathlon was my first triathlon of the 2012 season and in the 30-34 Age group (even though I don't turn 30 til the end of the year).  I made the 400 mile drive to Memphis the day before the race, missing out on IronGirl Atlanta this year, to seek out a more competitive field.  The race was held at Harrah's Casino - Tunica, and promised a flat and fast bike and run.

Swim - This was my first time doing a time trial start, where you line up by number and start an athlete every three seconds. I was the last one in my AG to start (of course they did it alphabetically).  Despite being nearly pulled under water by and older man I was passing, and the muddiest swim I've experienced, I came out of the water in 9:28 for what my watch said was 0.43 miles, 8th in my AG. 

my tri top after the race, turned brown on the inside from the muddy water swim

T1 - 44 seconds (second fastest) 

Bike- I went on to make quite a few rookie mistakes getting out on the bike course.  Despite plenty of practice getting into and out of my shoes while they are already clipped on the bike, I first, couldn't get my right foot in my shoe (see pic) and then,  the rubber band holding my left shoe up-right didn't break.  I had to reach down and break it and of course get snapped.  Fantastic.  Next, I forgot to check that my helmet was adjusted to go onto my head and it was too tight (see the crooked helmet above) so had to adjust my helmet while riding too.  Not off to the best start, but once I got going I was able to hold a steady 20mph for the 13 mile ride.  My time of 38:22 was the 5th fastest in my AG.

my bike split - small elevation change and fairly consistent speed around 20mph

T2 - 0:46,  fastest T2 in my field

Run - Since the race didn't start until 8am, we were all feeling the heat by the time we got the run.  It was about 90 degrees.   After being injured and not racing in so long, only one or two bike-run bricks, I didn't know what to expect.  I ran a 20:40 (6:55/mile).  Far from my best, but just enough to move up in the field as others were hurting in the heat just as much, or maybe more, than I was.  Two of the overall women were in the 30-34 AG which moved me up to 2nd place from 4th, and a top 10 finish overall in 9th.

Women 30-34,   3rd, 2nd, 1st.

With Endurance Concepts, Cadence Bikes and Multisports teammate, Thomas P. (1st M20-24)

Really, I had a great time out there.  It's nice to get out there and remember what all the training is for, and have it come together, even if it wasn't perfect.  It was a decent race, and a lot of fun.  I made the right choice to skip IronGirl this year as the winning time in my AG was 1:45.  My 1:33 last year would have put me more than 10 minutes ahead of the next competitor.  Also, it helped that my Mother was there to cheer me on, as well as my Cousin Laura and their friend Tammi who drove up from Louisiana to watch the race and cheer us on.  Best of all, this was the third race I got to do with Charles.  

Charles broken ankle

About 5 weeks ago Charles was on a trail run when he mis-stepped and refractured an avulsion fracture in his left ankle from last season.  But nothing like a broken ankle will stop Charles, he had already signed up to do the race with me in Memphis and was determined to do it.  He'll never admit to this - but I think his unusually high tolerance for pain is a big part of what makes him such a great triathlete.  

He competed not only in the sprint race on Saturday, but came back to do the Olympic distance race on Sunday (part of the amateur challenge).  Charles combined times from both days placed him as one of the top 15 amateur athletes in the field, winning him a cash prize!  Congrats Charles!   Charles went on to take 1st place M30-34 in the Pelican Fest Triathlon in Colorado the next weekend.  

We are hoping to raise some money for our trip to the World Championships this fall in Auckland New Zealand.  I will be competing in the Aquathlon, and Charles will be competing in the Aquathlon and Olympic Distance Triathlon for Team USA.  The combined cost for our plane tickets there is a staggering $3200.  Charles is currently ranked #1 in the USA in Aquathlon AG M30-34!! See his pic in the ranking issue of USATriathlon Magazine.  

I'm so excited for another chance at international level competition!

A look at what travelling for races is like.  GEAR EVERYWHERE!

Quick Rachel update:  She just won a gym membership for 2 years from a raffle, awesome!!  She's keeping up the walking and moving towards the 5k goal!  Go Rachel!

Meet my friend, Rachel

I've been friends with Rachel since 6th or 7th grade.  She's not training to go to the World Championships.  She's not even training to go to the National Championships.  Nope, nothing like that.  Rachel, is going to walk a 5k.

Analise, Rachel, Laura, Jess, in 2006

Currently my dear friend tips the scales around 400lbs.  Having struggled with weight her entire life, at least since I've known her, changing to a healthy life style will no doubt be very difficult.  But that's why she is such an inspiration to me.   Rachel has made the commitment to walk everyday.  In the next few weeks she's going to work her way up to 3.1 miles and complete a 5k, with the number and everything!

Step 1 for Rachel, and for anyone who is going to start walking/jogging is getting the right pair of shoes.  She went to Fleet Feet in Buffalo where they guided her to Brooks Adrenaline shoes.   Before getting into the right pair shoes, Rachel was in pain after walking for only short distances.  Having the right shoes will be life changing for Rachel.

Brooks Adrenaline shoes, size 9, width 4E,
an important tool for Rachel's health and weight-loss goals! 

She's already worked her way up to over 2 miles and has that 5k in sight.    She's made changes like walking to and from meetings with friends, and replacing burgers with salads.   So, let's all watch Rachel as shes strides towards her new healthy lifestyle.  One step at a time, one day at a time.  You can do it Rach!
 

Rachel, making her move in her new shoes!

So, what's your excuse, get out and get active.  So stay tuned to the blog for updates on Rachel's progress over the next weeks and months to come.  

Analise, Rachel, Laura at Festival International de Louisiane, April, 2012

Later this week I'll be posting about my recent race, the Memphis in May Sprint Triathlon.

May Update

First of all, I apologize for not writing in so long, and I thank all of you who have asked me to start writing again.  And it's about time!  My season begins next week with the Memphis in May Sprint Triathlon.  I'm very excited for this race as I have made a lot of changes since last year.

First of all, I joined the Endurance Concepts Racing team and have been working with a new coach since October, Head Coach, Dan Arnett.  This season I will also be representing one of our partners, Cadence Bikes and Multisport.   So, for my training, Coach Dan works hard to make sure that training for triathlons fits into your schedule if you work a lot.  I have been working on my dissertation and sometimes finding the time and energy for training can be difficult.  But to counter that, I do almost all of my training first thing in the morning, then am done for the day to work, tutor, etc.

My typical training week:

Monday - 6am, Masters swim class at Dynamo Masters, Triathletes, and  Fitness Swimming (recovery day)
Tuesday - 6am, Spinsanity, a group cycling class based on power and cadence training with the coach and other team members
Wednesday -6am, Masters Swim Class, followed by a Run, usually a shorter distance (4-6 miles)  lactate stacker workout.
Thursday - 6am, Spinsanity  (sometimes make this a brick = bike+run)
Friday - 6am, Masters Swim, followed by 'short' run with speed work.
Saturday - 730am, 2+ hour group ride.
Sunday - Long run, base building and endurance, typically 8+ miles.

One of the places I expect to see big changes this season is my swim.  I have been going to Masters swimming now 3 times a week since October and been lucky enough to have a great swim coach, Maria T., tear apart my terrible swimming form.  Though I don't expect to be drastically faster in the swim, I am much more efficient (with lots more work and improvement to do!).  I didn't realize how much energy I was wasting in the swim with such improper form.  Other benefits I get from masters swimming is circle swimming with a group.  When you are leading a line of swimmers, or desperately trying to stay on the feet of the person swimming ahead of you, you will push yourself harder than when you go at it alone.  I know my friends Katie and Rob's feet too well!!  but I do miss swimming with Karen C, my training partner from last season (love you girl!)    

The bike is still my weakness.  One change I've made here is working with my cadence.  When I first attached a cadence meter to my bike I realized that my cadence was pretty low.  To be able to get off the bike and run, your cycling cadence and running cadence should be nearly the same.  Now I strive to keep my cycling cadence around 90rpm, like my running 90 strides per minute which makes my body more prepared to make the transition from one sport to the next.

Riding in Boulder, Co

My run.  Still my favorite of the three.  I've had a slight set back with an injury that prevented me from running for nearly 6 weeks.  My ankle starting bothering me in January, for no specific reason that I can recall. I continued to run on it for a while until knee and hip pain followed.  I finally had to stop running and get treatment.  I've been working with Dr. Josh Glass at Georgia Sports Chiropractic.  He specializes with runners and works with the US Olympic track team, so I am in good hands.    I'm back to running for up to an hour now and expect it come back quickly.

Here's to a great season ahead!!    With this years grand finale held in Auckland, New Zealand.  I can only imagine it will be much easier to get around there than China, since they speak English!  But I am excited to continue my trek around the globe, and go to the Southern Hemisphere for the first time.

               

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