And now my race report!

Lorraine:

I had so much fun! I think it was a perfect first triathlon. I enjoyed the entire thing, felt happy the entire time, and would definitely do one again. By that sentence you can tell I wasn't exactly out there to win or make any impressive time, but because I had fun and want to do it again, I met my goal! I also kept going the entire time (no walking or doggy paddling) - another goal!
My event was 800 meters swim in open water - a big lake. Lots of women wore wetsuits but I didn't, and it seemed fine. I wasn't too cold, although I've heard they make you swim better as you're much more buoyant. The only bad part of the entire triathlon was the first 3 minutes, when I thought I may not be cut out for this. I started near the front of my pack but still got beat left and write by other women for the first few minutes, plus there were some serious waves, and the SEAWEED. I had a full turban of seaweed including full seaweed goggles. I had to pull it off my goggles several times, which makes swimming more challenging! Then I got into my groove and enjoyed the rest of the swim. I was surprised to find that it's something many women really don't feel that comfortable with, so many women were doing sidestroke, breakstroke, etc. The triathlon (Danskin) is great and diverse and perfect for someone trying the first one. (800k, 16:32)

Then I had a 20k bike ride (38:21) and a 5k run (29:28). I was actually a bit surprised to look after the race and see my bike time - sure I really enjoyed it, but it was by far my worst performance comparatively. I'm now wondering if I need a real bike rather than an extremely heavy clunker!! I really only jogged for the run but I was still totally pleased with it, and the best part - as I came around the curve to turn into the finish, there were Mary, Amelia, and Oliver cheering for me! It was a great moment. I now proudly have my finisher's medal and hope to do another one when I can.



Thanks Hannah!

My Race Report

Hannah:
Swim- my swim was meant to be 400m (16 lengths of pool) pool swim. My lane counter mis-counted my lengths so I swam an extra 50m (2 lengths). I was expecting a 7min swim time but it was closer to 8mins.

Bike- the advertised 20km (12miles) was actually 14miles...those extra 2 miles were a little more than my legs could cope with. The bike was an out and back- cycle out 7miles, turn round and head home! I fell off my bike twice... and for the same reason each time. I had a little mechanical failure with my gears as they kept jamming. Both times I came off going up hill which was a little embarrassing. I then had to put the chain back on and sort the gears out each time. Oh well! There was a head wind going out, this was hard work but it made the journey back much quicker!

Run- I had a great run. The run was along a river side/ forest footpath. It was quite muddy but very scenic. I really enjoyed the run. I was met by Sophie 100yards from the finish and she 'helped' me to finish!

Thank you, Lorraine. You have been a great training partner and I am really proud of you for training so hard and doing so well today.

Check List

Hannah:

Googles- yep

Swim hat- pick up on race day

Tri-top and shorts- yep

Transition towel- yep

Bike- oh yes, tyres pumped up, gears oiled, race wheels on.

Bike shoes- yep

Helmet- yep

Sun glasses- yep

Number belt- oooo, where is it?

Run shoes- yes (do they still fit?)

Water bottle- not yet

Fitness- ooops, I had to forget something!

Supporters- yep x 2

Race info and directions- all read and digested

Early night- doubtful!

The de-forestation begins!

Hannah:
2 days to go! arghhhh, 2 days to go!

This morning I began the seemingly impossible task of de-foresting the legs. I need every last bit of wind resistance cut!

I have made a list of everything I need to pack, the race details are printed, the start time is memorised (10.10am) and the instructions have been read.

All I need now is some fitness!

Urp

Lorraine:

Hmm, really is close now! Okay, so yesterday (Wed) I actually managed to get up and went swimming. I swam laps for 20 minutes. In a stroke of luck, the pool was quite cloudy (hmmm) so I couldn't do flip turns - making it more like a "real" swim I suppose, except for how it was nice and toasty warm. I'm definitely continuing to be nervous about the water temperature!! Whenever I mention to someone over here that I'm not using a wetsuit, they raise their eyebrows and say "Hmmm." Ah well.

Yesterday's bike to and from the bus was quite brief - just 10 minutes each way. Today I did 10 mins in the morning but on the way home I'll do the longer 30 minute ride, complete with two massive hills at the end. I didn't actually get up to go running this morning, because I was thinking 30 mins run and 30 mins ride might be a bit much a few days before the race. Or maybe (more likely) I was just being lazy!

Tomorrow I do plan to do one easy run and then be done with exercise until Sunday.

Countdown time...

I really can't believe it's so soon!!!

Okay, as I said when camping I did no exercise at all, and in fact ate many marshmallows. Mmm. Sunday I tried to get in a bit of a workout - I did a spinning class (45 mins) and then ran 2.75 miles on the treadmill. I wanted to go the entire 5K, but I was pushing my time limit as I had to get the kids to a ferry. Yesterday I did nothing! Slept in and then took the kids to gymnastics at night. This morning I meant to go swimming but got to bed late- and I'm trying to get 6+ hours of sleep this week before the race. On the plus side, I'm riding to and from work and/or to and from a bus the rest of this week, so I'm getting some outdoor bike time. It's great to make sure I'm comfortable with my clipless pedals again and all that. This morning's ride was only about 15 minutes but this afternoon will be more like 30 as I'll get off the bus earlier. Same thing tomorrow and the next day. My plan is to go swimming tomorrow morning and maybe run (easy) on Thursday and Friday, then nothing on Saturday. Does that sound good?

OMG- less than a week to go!

Hannah:
This time next week the race will be over, our muscles will be aching but our finishers medals will be hanging proudly from the shelf!

There really hasn't been much time to train in the last week, though I did get a run in on Friday. It felt good. This week I have a friend staying so I'm not sure when I'll next get some training in. Sophie has a swim lesson on Thursday so I'll swim then.

Wow, 6 days to go!

Le longer-than-weekend

I'm so far behind in documenting, I worry I may have forgotten everything....

After my swim last Monday, on Tuesday I think I did a 3 mile run inside, since it was really cold. Wednesday I did the usual weights thing, which I should probably shake up a bit since I'm not getting sore at all anymore! Thursday I did nothing. Friday I did a 45-minute spin class and then ran a mile afterwards. Saturday and Sunday I did nothing except for some very minimal walking around since I was off camping with the kiddos. Plus plenty of marshmallow-eating :)

This Monday (yesterday) I ran for about 3.5 miles on the treadmill - pretty slow speed since I was tired after camping, but it felt quite easy and I could have gone a lot longer. This morning I went swimming and did the usual workout.

The more exciting plan is TOMORROW, when I'm cycling to work and back!! This is a pretty long effort, so I'll update tomorrow on how it goes. Plus I'll be on a REAL bike.

Horrifyingly I actually went to the race site today and saw that the water is approx 65 degrees which sounds freezing AND even more shocking the swim length is 800m when I'm pretty sure it was "supposed" to be 600m. In any event I've been swimming 600m (and then doing the pull buoy and kickboard after that). Oops.

Plus I'm entirely unclear on where I take my bike and all that. I can't believe it's coming up so soon!!!

More camping this Thurs-Sat, so probably no workout, but I'll try to do something good on Sunday.

Le Weekend

Hannah:
I managed a run on Saturday morning...yay! It didn't feel too bad and I quite enjoyed it. We were going to go bike riding on Sunday along the canal towpath but it rained all day so we didn't get to go. I must try and get out on bike this week...just to check it wont fall apart when I sit on it. Today (Monday) I will swim as Sophie has a swimming lesson. As long as I get 400m covered then I will be pleased!

Added- I swam today. I managed to get 400m in before being called over to watch Sophie. Her teacher was very excited by Sophie's progress so kept asking me to watch her. I swam sets of 2 lengths so that I could cheer Sophie on- she was doing a badge today. In my 2 lengths, I swam the first one fast and the second length very fast! It was a good swim...not quite as good as Sophie's swim, she got her badge!

Nothing...absolutely nothing!

Hannah:
It is now Friday and this week I haven't done any training at all. It doesn't help that I feel a bit flu-ey and I haven't slept properly since returning from holiday. I swam on Monday. Tuesday time was very limited- DH was working early and late and then on Wednesday I started to feel ill and spent most of the afternoon on the sofa. Today I just feel wiped out. I would like to run tomorrow as I need to....plus there is only 2 weeks left until the race. I need an energy boost, the motivation is there but the body is not willing.

Getting back into it....slowly!

Hannah:
Having spent 18hours of Thursday travelling I was too tired to do anything on Friday. So, I slobbed all day and recovered. On Saturday though I felt much better so went for a steady run. I ran for 30minutes. The first 25mins were good, the last 5minutes were a little lung bursting. I feel I have lost some running fitness in the last few weeks.

On Sunday we were out all day with friends so there was little time to train. Today Sophie had a swimming lesson which meant that I got to swim whilst she tried not to drown. I swam for 25minutes. The swim was broken up into..swim a few lengths, watch Sophie, swim a bit more, listen to the enthusiastic swim teacher, swim a bit, watch Sophie refuse to co-operate etc. Still, 25mins is better than nothing.

Not sure what training I will do this week but I know I need to run! For me, running gets me back to fitness far quicker than any other exercise.

Finally recovered

Lorraine:

The cold last week hit me pretty hard - plus the exhaustion from not sleeping all weekend. Altogether I didn't work out at all from Sat-Wed. Then I finally got back (somewhat) in gear:

Thursday: I started slow by doing a weights day, and then just ran a mile on the treadmill.

Friday: I cycled for 35 minutes, medium hard, but of course it felt extremely hard since I was still at the tail end of the cold.

Saturday: nothing! I had a full-day activity planned with the kids, so there was no way to fit in a workout.

Sunday: Definitely the best day in a while. I did a 45-minute spin class, which is always a good workout, then I went directly to the treadmill and ran 5k! I was quite pleased with myself. I did a few interval-like things. I ran the first mile slow, at 6mph, then bumped it up to 7mph for a mile, then back to 6.5 for the last mile, then 6.0 for the 0.2 to make it a full 5k. Anyway, after having done the cycling too I felt pretty proud, and I was sporting a nice red face for a good 20 minutes afterward. Then I took the kids to a sporting goods store to pick out a triathlon outfit. I didn't go for matchy-match because I don't want to look like I think I'm a professional :) so I just got some shorts (black) and a tank/suit top (green/yellow).

Monday: I took my new get-up to swimming this morning. I'm half-pleased. The top is great and felt like a regular swim suit, but I think I made a mistake in going larger on the shorts. I thought it would be a better idea to get longer ones, but now I realize they're actually too roomy and not that great for swimming. I am going to try to exchange them for the next size down...

Anyway, today I did the "new" swim workout - 15 laps (600m, like the course) trying to pop my head up and look forward halfway down the lane as if I'm looking for a buoy, then 10 laps alternating pull buoy and swimming head up/forward, then 10 laps kicking.

I'm feeling back on track except when I realize I'm gone the next two weekends camping! Ack! Hannah, tell me this won't ruin everything!

Oh, and I picked up my bike from the shop finally. Now just to find a time to ride it....

I'm baaaaaack!

Hannah:
I'm back- fitter and leaner than when I went away. There is nothing like a spot of warm weather training to fine tune the muscles!

Yeah right! I'm about 7lbs heavier, less fit, more flabby, but tanned! I ate far too many Moules Frites (Mussels and chips), drank too much wine and did too much lazing....oh well!

I managed a few bike rides with Sophie. I recall a 7miler and an 8miler on my mountain bike, complete with kid seat and 26lb child. We did a few shorter rides too but nothing that got the heart rate up. As far as running went, I did a lot of chasing a child along the beach. Swimming was a no no as there wasn't anyone to watch Sophie.

It was a great holiday though and I feel very rested. Back to it tomorrow...maybe!

Oh dear me...

Lorraine:

Last week went great - Thursday I cycled pretty hard for 30 minutes and then ran for 15. Friday I attended a 45-minute spinning class and then ran a mile after that (not enough time to do more) but I did the mile at a much higher speed than I normally would, so it felt like a good challenge. Then came the weekend! Friday night I left on a red-eye flight over to New York to attend a wedding. I had zero sleep that night, then was at a wedding, reception, and after party all day Saturday (let's just say I may have overindulged a bit) and then up Sunday for another full day on a plane and hanging out at airports - I got home just after midnight last night. So for the weekend I had no sleep and no exercise! Plus I managed to catch a cold. I hope to get back on track first thing tomorrow morning....

Missing Hannah!

Lorraine:

So I have to warn the very few people who might read this blog - Hannah is off for TWO WEEKS on vacation without internet access. I know, such a thing is imaginable in some ways ;) So we won't have any idea what she's doing with training until she gets back and posts a 10-page summary. Until then you're stuck with me.

Yesterday I went swimming and thank goodness for Hannah (my personal triathlon coach) had some new things to work on. She pointed out that swimming in a large lake is somewhat....different...than swimming in a small clean pool. Basically that I need to be prepared to lift my head out a lot to check that I'm on track. I can guarantee you that had I arrived on triathlon day without thinking of this, I would have been found somewhere out in the middle of the lake 30 minutes later. So I did as Hannah suggested - every three to four strokes I lifted my head forward as if checking for buoys. Then after doing my 600m, instead of doing 10 laps with a pull buoy, I did 10 laps alternating pull buoy and then swimming a lap entirely with my head up. Certainly took me back to my lifeguard days! I definitely found it harder and am glad I'm getting the practice. It also took a bit longer so I wasn't able to do my last (10th) lap with the kickboard before I had to hop out to let the next person in at 30 minutes. Alas....

Today was, of course, "Wednesday Weights Day." I've found I am able to comfortably do more weights on several but I still have pretty puny arms. I did a bit of ab stuff but there were a few people on the mat and I didn't want to crowd so I skipped the last part. Oh well!

I think tomorrow I might try another Hannah suggestion, running on the treadmill with it set to a hill. Sounds....um....fun.

Slow weekend

Lorraine:

Hmm, where did I leave off? Let's see. Last Friday I did nothin' as my break day for the week. Or so I thought, as I ended up taking another one. Saturday I did a spinning class, which was pretty good - speed work, which I tend to dislike, so it was really good for me. Unfortunately I wasn't able to run afterwards because of the new timing of the kiddos' swim class - we had to rush right off. Sunday I had to drive for 7 hours (!!) to pick up the big one from her grandmother's and just couldn't fit anything else in that day. I did manage to eat two cookies and a slice of lemon tart though, which is an entirely different type of exercising. Today I snoozed for an entire SEVEN minutes after my 4:50am alarm and therefore could not go swimming (tight schedule to make sure I get a lane!) so I went and ran around the lake. I saw an adorable fluffy/gangly Canada goose baby snacking with its parents. Other highlights included a Dachsund in a stroller. Ahem.

Last week of proper training

Hannah:
Last week was my last proper week of training. Sophie is now on her summer vacation so trips to the gym are limited. Training wise, I didn't really make the most of the last week. On Tuesday I did a bike session, I rode hard for 20km and then rounded my time up to an hour. It was a good bike session. Wednesday was the last day of school so a few other mums and I met for an 'end of term' coffee.

On Saturday Sophie took part in a local 1 mile fun run. Both John and I ran with her and I have to say, she did really well. The run was flat for the first half mile and then a steep down hill for the last half mile. It was probably a little short in distance as she ran it in 13minutes! She did run the whole way (her choice) and looked thoroughly knackered at the end!

Today (Sunday) I went for a gentle run. I ran for about 35mins and really enjoyed it. I spent the afternoon servicing my mountain bike and adding the child seat to the back. Sophie was insistent on trying it out so we rode round the village several times...my legs were wobbly with the effort, but.... that was my first outing on the bike in a few years! I plan on cycling rather a lot in the next few weeks whilst on holiday.

Today, I....

Lorraine:

Today I was feeling verrrrrrrrrrry tired, so I dragged myself and the bags under my eyes to the gym, grabbed a magazine, and did the bike for 38 minutes. I did manage to get nice and sweaty but I can't say I pushed myself extremely hard!



Tomorrow I plan to have an off day. This weekend might be a challenge as I'll be driving 6 hours to pick up and bring Amelia home again, so you may have to get me back on track Hannah. Except (gasp!) you're going on vacation! What will I dooooooooooooooo???

What to wear!

Hannah:

There are a number of different clothing options for taking part in a triathlon.

You can wear a swim suit for the whole thing. Some cossies have built in support and a padded gusset for that all important protection!

Then there is the crop top and cycle short combination...be prepared to show off the 6 pack.

A tri-suit is like a swimming costume with build in cycle shorts. They tend to have added support and the padded section. There are pockets on the back for candy! Quite practical...never dared wear one though!

Just wear the same suit for the whole race. You can use a race belt to pin your number on so that you don't have to swim with your number pinned on. If you are wearing a wetsuit then you can pin your number onto your swim suit. As you come out of the swim start peeling your wetsuit off to the waist, as you come into transition area remove the rest of it. Put on your bike helmet (whilst treading your wetsuit off) and then your cycle shoes. In the last 100yards of the bike take your feet out of your bike shoes...keep the shoes clipped in though, this requires some practise. You will leap off your bike and then run bare foot into transition. Rack your bike, remove helmet, put on running shoes and go!

Wardrobe!

Lorraine:
Let's talk triathlon wardrobe. What will you be wearing Hannah? I recently heard about the existence of something called a "triathlon suit" - it appears to be a quick-drying tank w/sports bra built in a quick drying shorts, and you wear that to swim, bike, and run. Seems like a good plan. And then there's no shoes, bike shoes, then running shoes. What is your plan? I haven't gotten very far down this path....