Race Recap: 2013 Upper Dublin Sprint Triathlon

Good morning! Boy am I excited to post today's post!  Yesterday I raced the second annual Upper Dublin Sprint Triathlon, which is a super fun race super close to home.  It has a special place in my heart, because it was the very first triathlon I ever did.  Last year, the weather was absolutely perfect: sunny, clear and great.  This year, the weather had other plans.  All week it was looking iffy - chance of showers, off and on rain.  Oh man.  The issue, of course, is the bike in the rain.  It can be dangerous.  And you all know the bike is my least favorite of the three.  The weather was, indeed, off and on showers.  It was not a full on deluge, but the rain was persistent.  I decided to make the best of it.  After all, the one thing you cannot control on race day is the weather.

Last year, I loved every moment of the race - truly, it was just fun the entire time.  This year, I could not wait to go back and hopefully beat last year's time.   Last year, I ran the race in 1:22:13.  This year, I really wanted to beat that time and come in around 1:15.   Well ... yeah!!  My final time for the race this year was 1:15:21.  Woo to the hoo!!  Here's a breakdown and recap.   But first, a picture of me with my babies at the finish.  Best motivators ever (you can't tell in this picture but I am literally soaked from head to toe)!

Swim:  350 meters -- 8:14
last year's time:  8:39
Difference: -25 seconds

This tri has a pool swim, which is a huge switch from the usual open water swims in most triathlons. It is in the Upper Dublin High School pool, and you swim 10 laps serpentine style.  So, an athlete enters the water every 10 seconds after the race gun goes off.  Each athlete time starts when she crosses the mat at the top of the pool.  You hop in (no diving) and swim up the first lane on the right.  The left side of each lane is for passing.  Then when you hit the wall, you move under the lane divider and head up that lane and so on until you swim up and down every single lane in the pool.

I think they moved the timing mat this year.  I think last year it was right as you got out of the pool. This year, you had to run out the door and down a ramp over the mat.  My Garmin had my swim time just under 8:00.  But the mat rules and that's the time it had.  I'll take it.  I only got passed twice in the pool.  It was frustrating because the woman in front of me was going a little slower than me but I found it difficult to pass her.  I finally dug deep and swam past her.   meep meep. 

T1:  1:41
last year's time:  2:09
Difference: - 68 seconds

Last year, my T1 time (transition from swim to bike) took awhile because as a newbie, I did not realize that I needed a race belt for my race number.  So I had to pin my race number directly to my tri suit after the swim.  Last year, I also put on my sneakers:  I had the pedal cages and did not have the clipless pedals and special bike shoes.  This year, I had to uncover my bike: I had it covered with a nifty bike cover I bought at an endurance expo. The cover kept it nice and dry from the rain.  Once the bike was uncovered, I dried off a bit, threw on my helmet, socks and bike shoes and hopped on the bike.  

Bike:  11.2 miles -- 37:50 (17.8 mph)
last year's time: 41:54 (pace: 16 mph)
Difference: -4:04 (1.8 mph increase in speed!)

The bike is two loops around Upper Dublin township.  The roads aren't closed to traffic. You head through a few neighborhoods, up a pretty big climb on Susquehanna Road and then down that same steep grade to the business park, which isn't terribly scenic but pretty empty on a Sunday morning.  Then up a deceivingly difficult hill to the start and then loop around again.  I like the two loops because you know exactly what the condition of the course is on the second loop.  

This year, I am much more comfortable in the saddle, so I was hoping I could make up some time.  Boy did I ever.  Despite the rain, I kicked it into gear on the bike.  I cannot believe I biked 17.8 mph.  I CANNOT BELIEVE IT.  Bold! All caps!  Exclamation point!  It felt great.  I could have kept on going.  I only got passed by two women.  I got to say "on your left!" more times than I could count.  And best of all, I had fun on that bike.  I think I'm having a Casablanca moment with my bike: this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.  

T2: 1:42

last year's time:  1:11

Difference: +31 seconds

T2 was tough.  I had to change from my bike shoes into my sneakers and my socks were absolutely drenched from the bike.  As in, I could feel water in my bike shoes.  I did my best to dry them off, but it took a few extra seconds.  I threw on my race belt and visor and ran off.  The rain made everything take a little longer.  Lesson learned: always bring an extra pair of socks.  

Run: 3.1 miles/5k -- 25:46 (8:22/mile pace)
last year's time: 28:23 (pace:  9:10/mile)
Difference: @3 minutes (I am horrible with math)

This is a great run course!  It starts at the high school and winds around a neighborhood to the Temple University-Ambler campus. Last year, it was very sunny, but this year that was not an issue at all. I wanted to get in the low 8s for my pace - that is where I comfortably run these days, and I wanted to push hard to take advantage of my strength.

I knew I could motor through 3 miles in wet socks.  My goal was to not get passed by any women on the run.  One passed me.  And she was 21 years old (you have your age as of year end written on your leg in body marking).  I passed a bunch of people!  I could feel that I was having a killer run, and I absolutely was.  8:22/mile pace is great. I am most pleased.

The race, just like last year, was flawlessly run with tons of race support.  The volunteers are fabulous.  The organizers addressed a few issues from last year to make this race better: they made the bike out/bike in be in separate places to avoid the logjam that happened last year.  My one suggestion would be for the organizers to put a deadline on the time that you can change your swim time.  Estimated swim time is how you get in the pool: fastest person is 1 and slowest person is whatever the last number is.  Racers have to give their estimated finish time for the 350 meters.  It's a pretty good system. But about 40 people were changing their times this week. The organizers went above and beyond and gave them race day numbers, but this was needless stress and work for them.  I would encourage the race organizers to set a drop dead date for athletes to change their times.  It's really not the end of the world if they're seeded with slower swimmers.  Off soapbox.

So to recap:  

Last year's time:  1:22:13.  Overall: 134th out of 262 people.  9th in my age group.

This year's time:  1:15:21.  Overall:  82nd out of 280 people.  4th in my age group.  

Needless to say, I celebrated with pizza and beer.  Woo hoo!  Next tri is another sprint on June 15 at the state park near my hometown.  Hopefully it will be a true triathlon this year and not a duathlon as it was last year.  The swim was canceled due to "high fecal content" in the lake. Ew gross.  

See you swoon,

(better late than never) Race Recap: 2012 Six Flags Great Adventure Sprint Triathlon

Fridayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!

This post is only 8 months overdue, but I still remember the race in vivid detail, so I thought I would post it.  It's especially appropriate today since I have a sprint triathlon close to home this weekend: the Upper Dublin Sprint Triathlon.  The Upper Dublin Sprint tri is the very first triathlon I ever did, and I loved every moment of it, so I am excited to go back and try to crush last year's time.  I'll be sure to post a recap afterwards. 

Anyway, on to today's post.  I did the Six Flags Great Adventure Sprint Triathlon last year (late September 2012).  This race was not on my calendar and not in my plans.  I assumed my Olympic Plus tri at Quakertown PA (Quakerman) would end my triathlon season, but that race was so hard and challenging.  I wanted to end my season on a fun note -- one that made me excited to return to triathlon in the Spring.  So I found the Six Flags tri and thought it sounded like fun, the distance would be a snap and I'd end my season on a very high note.  Plus, I grew up going to Great Adventure ... the idea of doing a race there was kind of hilarious.

The race was a blast.  It was a .45 mile swim, 13.5 mile bike ride and 3.1 (i.e., 5k) run.  After a grueling race consisting of a hilly 39 mile bike and hilly 10K run at Quakerman, this seemed perfect.  Transition for this tri was in the parking lot, right near a big roller coaster.  There was plenty of room and, as always, I met some really cool people.  I love transition because you can swap stories and tips with other racers.  It was at this race that someone told me to always reinforce your ankle chip strap with a safety pin, as she was in a race recently where her ankle strap fell off during the swim.  Devastation.  That's the only way you are timed.  

My final time was 1:40:04 and I was the 14th woman (among 58 women) and 4th in my age group. I'll take those results, thank you and yes! 

The Swim:  .45 mile

The swim was in the stunt lake inside the park.  It was an actual lake, which was surprising.  The one snag was it was a good half mile (at least) from the lake to transition.  I am glad I read the pre-race email closely because it encouraged racers to bring appropriate shoes to cover that much ground (many racers did not have anything and ran barefoot or tried it in flip-flops ... the parking lot was really hard on the feet).  So I brought my water shoes (that I normally wear kayaking or canoeing) to run in after the swim.  Here I am running through the park from the lake to transition.

image (and all images) from Great Six Flags Tri

The lake water was cool - but I didn't have a wetsuit at the time.  I was one of the very few who did not wear a wetsuit.  The lake was probably the worst lake in which I've competed.  It was very dirty - probably because it is small and motor boats use it.  So when I got out of the water, my arms and legs were coated in black (oil).  Ew.  My swim was stronger than Quakerman but I still had an initial freak-out/panic.  I eventually settled into a good rhythm and finished the swim in 15:39.

 The Bike:  13.5 Miles

I confess I didn't have high expectations for this bike ride.  I thought I knew the area and thought it was just not that nice.  Boy, was I wrong.  This bike ride was lovely! Rolling hills, country fields, simply lovely scenery.  I was stunned.  I felt really strong on the bike ride and pushed hard on the hills.  Again, the far more rigorous ride at Quakerman put this one into perspective: short, easier and faster.  Yay.  The hills were not bad - a bunch of rollers with maybe two kind of steep climbs.  Time on the bike: 50:32 (about 16 mph).

The Run:  3.1 Miles 

The run was a blast, though it was pretty hot and sunny.  The course was through the park and around the haunted hayride trails, around some service roads near the safari and back through the parking lot.  The trails were a little rocky in parts.  There were a few little hills, but nothing major.  I was happy I wore my visor, because there was not much shade here at all.  I loved running past the safari and especially the monkeys.  The monkeys were watching us all run by, probably wondering what those crazy people were doing.  I had a great run:  27:05 (8:44 pace).  

I would absolutely do this race again.  The race has an Olympic distance as well.  Sadly, I cannot swing the race this year because it is the one weekend in September when I do not have a major event:  I am doing the Quakerman half iron on Sept. 7, then the Philadelphia Rock & Roll Half Marathon the following weekend and then the MS City to Shore 100-mile ride the last weekend in the month.  I think resting my body is a far better call.  

See you swoon,

What I Wore {part ix}

All skirts and dresses here!

* Floral Blouse & Coral Pencil Skirt *

I wore this floral blouse (from Target) a month or so ago with a navy and white striped skirt (see it here).  I wasn't crazy about it - something was really off and as Maya pointed out in the comments, the skirt seemed a little big.  So I tried again, because I adore this blouse, and I wore it with a fitted coral pencil skirt (from j.crew outlet) and embraced the bright colors.  I think this is a winner.  

 * Grey Dress & Raspberry Belt *

If not already obvious, I really love to wear belts.  I had a charitable luncheon a few weeks ago and decided to wear this grey dress (from the Limited last year).  It looks great as is, but I thought adding the pop of raspberry at the waist jazzed it up a bit.  

 * Mini-Polka Dotted Shift Dress & Coral Wedges *

This outfit was an unintentional tribute to Tommy Hilfiger:  both the dress and the shoes are that brand. I wore this to my friend's bridal shower in late April, and am happy with the look.  The dress is from the Tommy Hilfiger outlet and the shoes are a score from TJ Maxx.   It's hard to see in the pictures, but the dress is navy with teeny tiny white polka dots.  I love the fit and am going to switch out the belt for a different look.  

There you have it!  Summer is coming and I'm feeling that "OMG I have *nothing* to wear" like I do at the beginning of every season.  I am loving the maxi dress trend, but I just don't think I can pull it off.  I always look so overwhelmed in long dresses.

What are you into for Summer 2013? I'm looking to add a few more dresses (of course), and some printed tops.  Maybe a pair of pants or two.  What about you? I'd love to hear.

See you swoon,

Getting Dishy With It

Happy Monday!  I hope you all had wonderful Mother's Days.  I spent mine with my favorite people in the entire world - my little animals.  We lounged around, played, rode bikes (ok, they rode bikes and I laced up my running shoes and did intervals/sprints and "raced" them while they rode bikes) and had a delicious lunch where the most amazingly touching thing happened.  The kids wanted to "take me" to my favorite local pub, Casey's.  I usually get the same thing: hot roast beef sandwich with extra horseradish (the real stuff, not the horseradish mayo).  Anyway, it wasn't very crowded because, I suppose, most mothers and their children were at a lovely brunch.  So we settled into a booth and ate our food and had a good time.  When it was time to leave, the waitress came over and said that our bill had been paid for.  I was confused.  She said "someone saw you all come in and wanted to pay your bill.  He said he didn't know you and just wanted to wish you a Happy Mother's Day."  I was floored.  And of course, I immediately started crying.  Such true kindness.  I was touched and also happy that my kids were able to experience it, and from a stranger no less!  So, thank you random, anonymous stranger.  I promise to pay it forward somehow.  

Up today is a little project I tackled in the kitchen: hanging plates over the table.  I don't have a lot of wall space in the kitchen, and this expanse seemed to be begging for something.  I just love the looks of hanging plates in kitchens and dining rooms, and I had these on hand from my first home.  Here is the before (apologies for the light in these pictures: that window is a bear to photograph).  

Hanging was so easy.  I had the plate hangers on hand (I think I got them at Lowes).  I just measured the center of the wall for the middle plate and hung that first.  Then eyeballed the right spot for the plate to its left.  When I was happy with that, I measured for the plate on the right so they were even.  Here is the wall now.  

Improvement, but not done.  I had my little 5 year old photographer take a picture of me with another plate on the end. I wasn't sure if I should leave well enough alone or if the wall needed two more plates (one on each end).  I think I will go for more plates.  Molly asked me to "take a good picture Mommy" so I hammed it up. 

So stay tuned for, well, more plates!  I may hang an oblong plate over the microwave too.  I'm also dying to paint the kitchen chairs (white) and upholster their seats (yellow chain link print - fabric ready to go) and paint the little stepstool in the corner (also yellow).   My logjam of painting projects is getting bigger and bigger.  

See you swoon,

What I Wore {part viii}

Hi! Happy May!  I'm sorry I've been a little MIA lately.  Two weeks ago, I was in Disney World with my kids.  It was, pardon the cliche, a magical trip.  So I have been digging out of post-vacation stuff and also dealing with a lot of things to do at work! And, I have been training quite a bit for the triathlons I have this Summer.  All good things, of course, but it has made blogging tough.  I'll get back on track soon, and I swear, I will do some home projects.  

In any event, back to what I wore!  I was looking back through my old "what I wore" posts and realized I mostly post skirts and dresses.  So I'll try to add more pants outfits.  I really do wear them.

* Jade Buttondown & Grey Pants *

Here's a pants outfit.  The pants are from the Ann Taylor outlet - I love them.  I also love these taupe patent heels (also from the Ann Taylor outlet) because they are like chameleons: they look grey with grey and tan with tan.  I found the fitted short sleeve buttondown blouse at New York & Co.  I have several from New York & Co. because they fit me like a dream!  I loved the color of this one.  I thought the outfit needed a little something, so I wore a patent greenish blue skinny belt that I found at the Banana Republic outlet.  It doesn't match the jade shirt perfectly, but looks good nonetheless.  I wore a delicate gold necklace and fun clover drop earrings. 

* Chambray Shirt & Printed Skirt *

This is a bit of a departure from what I normally wear, but it was fun.  I got the skirt last Summer on clearance at Anthropologie.  It's so comfortable and fun - perfect for Summer!  I think it was $19.  The chambray shirt is from Old Navy.  I bought it last Summer to go with my Nantucket Red skirt. This is a decidedly casual outfit, so I wore it with my sweet yellow flats.  

* Coral Cardigan, Printed Top & Tan Pants *

Here's another pants outfit.  The pants, as are most of my pants, are from the Ann Taylor outlet.  The cardigan and printed top are both from Old Navy from a number of years ago.  I love the floral print and the fun detail on the neckline of the cardigan.  

Have a terrific Thursday! The weekend is in sight.  Yes.  

See you swoon,

Race Recap: 2013 Devilman "Half-Lite" Triathlon

YEAH!!!!! On Sunday May 5, 2013, I swam, biked and ran 50 miles! Here's a detailed recap of the race -- all that you wanted to know and more.  

I'll throw out spoilers right up front:  I did not really have a time goal for this race. I wanted to beat my "Olympic-Plus" Quakerman tri time from last summer, which was 4:18. That did not happen but was close!! I finished in 4:27:44.  I was really excited to race this race:  the Devilman triathlon was held in Cedarville NJ, which is literally the town over from my home town and the town where my mom taught elementary school for most of her career.  I loved the idea of racing so close to home. And I knew the bike and run would be flat.  Devilman had two distances: sprint and "Half-Lite".  I went for the Half Lite option - I wanted a challenge.  On the bike (when I tend to think and obsess about things), I realized Half Lite is literally 1/3 of an Ironman: it is .8 mile swim, 41 mile bike, 8.8 mile run. It's also a good barometer for a Half Ironman (which is 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run), which I'm doing in hilly Quakertown in early September.

 My race strategy was thus: (1) not panic in the beginning of the swim and settle into a good rhythm earlier than in the past; (2) bike smart - don't go out too fast because 41 miles is a lot of miles and 9 miles of running is also a lot; (3) run smart: don't start out too fast and stop at every water stop to ensure I'm getting enough hydration and nutrition; and (4) HAVE FUN.

at the finish and seeing my kids!  best race motivator ever.  

Before the race, I did a little google searching.  I saw a lot of commenters really lambast this race - especially the swim.  They claimed the lake was very dirty, had debris in it, and snakes and snapping turtles. I was like OMG.  I found fellow South Jersey girl, Maria's, blog and her recap of Devilman.  I emailed her and asked for her thoughts.  She confirmed that the water wasn't the best, but it was ok, and to be prepared for a chaotic and crowded swim.  Above all, she was encouraging and awesome.  I now read her blog every day and am cheering her 3rd place among women finish at the Bassman Tri and will be cheering from afar as she kicks butt at Ironman Lake Placid and hopefully qualifies for the Ironman World Championship in Kona.  We Jersey girls ... we stick together! 

In any event, after the confidence boost from Maria and just having grown up in South Jersey, I was reasonably confident I'd be OK on the swim.  I  grew up swimming in lakes in South Jersey.  I was hoping that Mary Elmer Lake, East Lake and Sunset Lake would be great preparation.  I'd never swum in Cedar Lake (site of Devilman), but surely it couldn't be *that* bad. And if it was, I had on a wetsuit. 

Speaking of wetsuits, this race was also a lot of firsts for me: first swim in a wetsuit on a race; longest swim in a race to date; longest bike in a race to date (though not by much - my Olympic tri was 39 miles of killer hills) and longest run in a tri to date. I was ready.  Ray To Go.

On race day, I got to the race location at 5:45 and registered.  I sought out my spot in transition. It was freezing. So freaking cold. The weather was supposed to be warm and sunny but it was in the 40s. I was kicking myself for not bringing my riding gloves. Some nice woman loaned me an extra set that she had brought, but they were too big, and I didn't want to risk it. The women around me in transition were really nice. I find most people at tris to be extremely awesome and supportive and encouraging. I set up my piles of stuff and was totally ready.  I put on sunscreen and then my wetsuit immediately after - everyone was doing that b/c it was absolutely freezing. 

Around 7:15 they announce transition is closing at 7:30, and we all needed to make our way down to the lake for a debrief. The woman near my bike in transition was from my area up here, and we were chatting. She was so nice. We hung out before the race, which is always nice. When we got down to the lake, some nice man offered us a spot on his towel to stand.  Thank you nameless man with the New York accent!  The towel helped me regain feeling in my freezing feet.  Also at the lake, I heard guys near us chatting: "um, did the race organizer grow up in this area? Because we are in the middle of f*cking nowhere."  Ha ha ha.  Yes, sir, you are.  This is my hometown.  

The organizer gave the debrief - told us about the course, etc. Before I knew it the 39 and under men for the sprint race were in the water. The sprint people went first in the water b/c they only had one loop around the buoys. Then it was Half Lites. First men 39 and under. Then men 40+. Then all women.  And here we go!

Swim [.8 mile]: Women's Half Lite start was 8:30 and it was 8:30 sharp. It happened very fast. I got in the water and it was like 65 degrees, which was warmer than the air. The lake, thankfully, was fine! Sure, it wasn't the nicest lake I've been in, but it was, well, a lake. The bottom was mushy, but it wasn't anything nasty. And I didn't see any creatures, but then again, there were a ton of swimmers already in the lake who probably scared off any critters (thank you Sprint swimmers).  After what felt like 10 seconds in the water, the man told us to GO and HOLY GOD. The lake was small, so unlike any other race I've done, it was a thrash fest. I got kicked, people grabbed my legs, I got splashed. It was totally chaotic and crowded, just as Maria warned.  I was prepared.  I did OK, but I had my typical early swim panic and couldn't settle down. I would alternate between my back, my side and a sort of modified freestyle. Then after I passed the second buoy, I finally calmed down and settled into a good stroke. I did the second lap much faster than the first and felt good. I should have done the swim in 25 minutes. I did it in 31:51. Not bad. Room for improvement, but considering my Olympic tri time was 25 minutes for .6 mile and this was .8, I am pleased.  And I am signed up for a bunch of open water swim clinics this Spring and Summer.  I am determined to get rid of these initial panics.  I am a strong swimmer.  It's time that my time reflects that.  Swimming in the wetsuit was totally fine.  I am so thankful I had it: that water (and the air) was cold.  I had practiced once before at the 50 meter pool at the local YMCA.  

Transition 1: Out of the water and I started pulling off my wetsuit and my goggles and cap. I am actually decently fast at transition. T1 took me 3:10 and I was 86th out of like 227 people!  I took the time to dry off my feet and put on my socks and bike shoes, helmet and glasses. Also decided to wear my biking jersey (short sleeves) and arm warmers but no gloves. All of these things were good decisions. I grabbed some energy chews to eat on the way out of transition and off I went. It was a long run in bike shoes to the mount/dismount area.

Bike [40.3 miles - my Garmin said more like 41.3]: The first few miles were pretty chilly on the bike. The sun hadn't come out yet and I was wet from the swim. I wanted to keep my pace steady and try to reverse split. I knew I had two loops of the bike course, so I paid attention to the course to see where I could push hard on the second loop. My goal was around 17 mph, and I think I was more like 16.7. Not bad though. There were no hills but a very strong cross wind for about half of the course. The wind at times was so strong I thought I'd be blown off the bike! I was careful to keep drinking my gatorade/water mix. I also ate a bag of chews - half the bag on loop one; the other half on loop two. My goal was to not be passed by any women. I think two women passed me. Not bad at all. My bike time was 2:28:44.  I was thrilled. Especially considering my bike for my Olympic tri was like 2:44 and that was a mile less, but it was also really hilly. I had wanted to bike around 2:20 but figured 2:30 was about what I'd do. So this was good. I have work to do, but once I was about 10 miles in, I was pushing harder and know I can go faster. It's just a matter of getting my butt in the bike more often.

Transition 2: I was thrilled to see the dismount area. I was ready to be off that bike. I dismounted and ran to my spot. A little demoralizing to see how many bikes were already racked up ... but I knew i wasn't really racing those people - this was all about and for me. I took off my helmet and bike shoes, threw on my sneakers (yay for special triathlon laces) and my visor and off I went. I did well in T2 too: 1:35, which was 54th! 

Run [8.8 miles]: I wanted to keep my pace even and steady and hopefully do it in 9 minute miles. I wanted to negative split too - run slower in the beginning and make up time on the second half. This didn't really happen. Instead, I was pretty consisitently running 9;15 miles, and my pace was just about 9:15 on the nose. I was happy with this, considering I had swum nearly a mile and biked 41. I did stop at every water station: just like at the marathon, I stopped running, walked, took in my gatorade or water and then started running again. I'm glad I did this. My race belt had holders for Gus and I took in a Gu at mile 2 and then mile 6. I would eat it as I saw the water station and then chase it with water. The race had water and Gatorade at every mile, which was nice (it was an out and back, so they only had to have 4 stops). The Gatorade was disgusting - like bubble gum flavor. vomit. But I did not really care and needed it.  A challenge on the run is not being able to use an iPod.  Most (if not all) triathlons do not let you use music.  So running is quiet.  But it's also nice: you interact with your fellow racers and encourage one another.  I also, having read some of Maria's tips, decided to break the run into manageable bits.  Running almost 9 miles after 2 and a half hours on the bike is a daunting thing.  So I broke it into 2 mile segments.  After 2 miles I was half way to the turn around.  Once I hit mile 6, I was just 2 miles from close to the finish. That helped tremendously. I finished the run in 1:22:22. I probably could have pushed a little harder on the run. But I am still pleased. 

My parents told me they wanted to come to the finish, so they brought the kids. That was awesome. I was so happy to see them and little Owen raced me to the finish line. So, it was a great race! I had fun the whole time - save the first 5 or so minutes of the swim when I was freaking out and secretly wanted to grab a kayak and quit - the entire race I felt strong and good and pumped. I will definitely do this race again, and I think it was fabulous training for my half-iron in September. I know I could have done another swim loop, I could have pushed out another 16 miles on the bike and my legs were ready for more running at the end of my run. Except for some shoulder soreness, butt soreness and sunburn, I feel great today.Yay for great races!

Up next: Upper Dublin Sprint Triathlon in a few weeks.  The Upper Dublin spring was my first ever triathlon last year.  I want to beat my time from last year by quite a lot. You can bet I'll post a recap here!  After that, I have another sprint tri in June and then it's all training for the half Ironman in Quakertown in September, including a trip to Lake Placid NY in mid-July to give the Ironman course a whirl (not the whole thing, just a loop of the bike course (56 miles), a mile in Mirror Lake and a decent long run on the run course.  That's right, friends: I'm seriously contemplating Ironman Lake Placid in 2014.  

See you swoon,

Animal Weekend

Who's an animal?  This girl:

hi i'm crazy

Not a party animal, but a training animal.  I am in full on training mode for two major triathlons this season: the first is May 5 in the next town over from my hometown: the Devilman Triathlon and the big one, the Quakerman, is September 7.  Devilman is a "Half-Lite" distance (meaning it's in between an Olympic and a Half-Ironman) and has a .8 mile swim (in a questionable lake that is apparently muddy, gross and in which people have seen snakes), a 39 mile bike and a 9 mile run.  Quakerman is a Half Ironman, which is a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike and half marathon.  Both challenging races indeed.  However, Quakerman is so much more challenging because it is a very hilly course: the bike and the run have some doozies.  So this summer I will be training on hills.  Training on hills a lot.

In any event, the weekend of April 13-14, I decided to see how hard I could train my body.  Here's what I did:

Saturday 4/13:  ran 9 miles with my friend at 9 min/mile pace in the morning.  Then later in the afternoon, swam a mile in 40 minutes.  

Sunday 4/14:  started off the day by running a local 5K race.  Finished 7th overall (!) and 2nd in my age group.  I was thrilled.  The course was very hilly, so I was excited about my 26:28 time and 8:32 pace.  I really wanted to finish the race in under 24 minutes, but there was no way with those hills!  Then I met my friend for a 35 mile bike ride.  While he was throwing my bike on the car, I ran back on the trail and did a 5 mile run (this is called a "brick" workout).  I ran at 8:44 pace, which I am psyched about.

Monday 4/15:  ran 4 miles at a great pace before work.

RARRRRRRRR. Animal.  I'll probably share my training throughout the summer.  It is probably interesting to no one but me ... but it's my blog and I'll tri if I want to.