Race Report: Monte Rio - "Lessons of a Newbie" (sorry this is so late)

I must apologize for the long-winded recap of my pre-race training and race day experience.  Hopefully, it will help me and fellow amateur triathletes better prepare for future races.

Two weeks prior to my first attempt at a tri, I had a strong and promising week of training. While I had skimped on the biking, I hit running and swimming pretty hard. Instead of a detailed recap, here’s a quick summary of the week:

Monday:              First (ever) open water swim
Tuesday:              Morning Barre Class + evening track workout
Wednesday:      Morning run + evening Master’s Swim Class
Thursday:            Fast Tempo Run
Friday:                  Morning run + evening 1 mile continuous swim
Saturday:             15 mile run with crazy head wind
Sunday:                Second open water swim and 4 mile run

It was a great week and Will made us this awesome dinner on Sunday. Why? Because he loves me and because we both knew I had a rough week ahead.

Macaroni and cheese with sauteed  brussel sprouts and carrots

The following week (prior to the tri) started out okay, but went downhill FAST. Brief recap:

Monday:              10 hour work day  + 7 mile run
Tuesday:              10 hour work day  + track workout
Wednesday:      13 hour work day  – no workout
Thursday:            3 mile run + 14 hour workday
Friday:                  4 mile run + 14 hour workday

I should clarify that my work days were spent standing in the field in either a flame retardant jump suit or in 90+ degree weather (no shade).  To top it off I was also wearing steel toed work boots and a hard hat…safety first!

It may have been hot, but at least I had a great view while I worked.

After the excessively long work week, I really wanted to go home and relax…but instead, I had my first triathlon EVER ahead of me. So I drove the 1+ hour drive from Morgan Hill back to home, loaded the car quickly (hoping I had everything I needed in my pre-packed race bag) and rode with Will and Colt (our dog) up to Monte Rio. Fortunately, Rachel and Travers are super understanding and did not seem too annoyed with us for showing up at 11 pm.

Thanks to Rachel, we stayed at a prime location for the event. We had a nice private deck area, an outdoor kitchen and fire place and private access to the Russian River. The best part was that we were only about 2 to 3 blocks from the packet pickup/expo/transition area/race start!

The only downside to our location was that I could not escape the race; there was no pretending that this was just a relaxing weekend with great friends.

Monte Rio is a beautiful little town with super laid back and friendly people. Saturday morning (the morning before the race), we had breakfast at this local (dog-friendly J) place with outdoor seating that had an outdoor cooktop/grill/hot rod and dog park…awesome! Our breakfasts were buttery and delicious! So good, in fact, that Will wanted to stay until he became hungry again (he made the mistake of facing the grill and watched the chef make a ginormous breakfast burrito). Will even joked about ordering a breakfast burrito to put in his bike cage instead of water :p.

After breakfast, Rachel and I took our bikes out to see how they rode and to make sure no pre-race adjustments were needed. We went for a relatively slow two-mile ride from the resort and then turned back. My legs were TIRED and sore from the crazy work week of standing in the sun for hours on end; this was NOT how I wanted to feel the day before our race. So when Rachel asked me if I was ready to turn back, I was all over the suggestion. So we were about a quarter of a mile into our ride back to the resort when I got a flat. I took off the tire and tube and tried to put a new tube on (tried is the key word here). Meanwhile, Rachel had made it back to the resort before she realized I wasn’t with her. She doubled back to help and we struggled with the tire for a while before a friendly biker stopped to help us (this was not the first time we have needed help from fellow cyclists). My bike computer clocked the tire change at 29+ minutes, and that’s when I told myself that I would just bail out of the race if I got a flat in the middle of the bike.

I was super discouraged by the way that my legs felt and the failed tube change (I pinched the tube and Will had to re-do it for me), so I decided a short shake out run might help.  In preparing for my run, I realized that I had misplaced my Garmin and I began to panic. I have never felt more unprepared mentally, physically and emotionally for a race in my life. After searching for 20 to 30 minutes, I was totally relieved to find my watch (in a bag that I am sure I checked 5 times). So I set out for a short 1.5 mile shake out run. I felt much better when I got back, showered quickly and then we headed out to the Sonoma coast for lunch.

We had lunch in Jenner - it was so beautiful with cool temperatures that it almost made me forget about the race ahead.

After lunch, it was time to get serious about the tri. The four of us headed over to the check-in and expo to pick up our race packets. Unsure of how secure the facilities would be, we planned on making two trips, the first to get our packets and the second to set up our bikes.  After our second trip over, we walked down to the swim start and transition area. Initially the transition path followed along a rough road that turned into a finely-graded sand with angular gravel (A.K.A. bad news for the feet). Rachel and Travers waded in the water while Will and I scoped out the surroundings.  All I kept thinking was how on earth am I going to make it up to the bike transition without shoes?

Swim entry, exit and transition.

After a few minutes we headed back to the resort to relax by the river before dinner. On our way back, I made the best 7 dollar investment ever …on a cheap pair of sunglasses (since I had forgotten mine in the Friday night frenzy). Hanging out by the river was great! We saw a river otter snacking on crayfish and then we saw race officials set up the buoys for the upcoming event. The start line had been moved closer to where we were staying due to shallow river waters (in fact the start buoy was right behind the resort).

The rest of the day flew by and (thankfully) I passed out early.

RACE DAY

I was up and moving just before 6 AM. I took Colt out to do his thing while I assessed the weather conditions. When I came in, I ate a bagel with peanut butter with a banana and washed it down with as much water as I could. Rachel was up with me eating a bowl of lucky charms while Travers was just getting up and Will was trying to get as much rest as possible.  Then we started packing our gear and planning out our nutrition for the bike and run. 

We decided we should go to the transition area to set up our gear and then come back to put on our wetsuits before the race start. Before we left, Rachel gave me some helpful tips about undoing the Velcro on my bike shoes and loosening up my laces to minimize my transition time. She also added that since this was my first tri I should try to have fun and not stress about the transition.  I let her words sink in and started to feel a little bit better and then kept telling myself not to panic during the swim.

With my gear lined up under my rear bike tire in the order in which I would need them, I was ready to go back and put on my wetsuit. I should mention that “my” gear included a pair of my husband’s (Will’s) running socks and the pair of sunglasses I bought the day before.

Thanks to Will, my mindset took a turn for the positive when we were putting on our wetsuits.  As I stood struggling to pull my wetsuit up over my legs without tearing it, Will sat on the futon and casually pulled his up to his knees before he realized he was still wearing basketball shorts over his jammers.  We all got a good laugh out of his self-proclaimed “rookie mistake.” I tried to body glide every body part that might potentially chaff and lathered on sunscreen before pulling up my wetsuit.

Finally, we were ready to head over to the race start. The guys (Will and Travers) went straight to the start line. Rachel and I went to the transition area to drop off last minute additions to our gear. We slowly walked down to the start of the swim.  As we walked I adjusted my goggle straps and tried them on- they were dirty and foggy. I frantically tried to wipe them clean as we traversed the unfriendly terrain. We were about 2/3 of the way there, when we decided that we would be much better off if we used sandals in the transition, so we turned back and grabbed our sandals and headed back to the start. We left our sandals at the very end of the carpeted section and walked along the carpeted aisle to the start. By that time, the race officials had directed the purple caps (i.e. under 34 year old men) to walk over the mat and through the water to the start line. We were told to wait on shore until we were directed into the water.  Meanwhile there were several green caps (a.k.a. men from the wave behind us) warming up in the water…frustrating. 

At the direction of the race officials, we made our way over the mat and through the shallow water toward the starting line. At this point even the rocks on the river bottom were hurting my feet and to my surprise I was looking forward to the swim. Rachel went to the front of the line with the other strong swimmers and I was content to hang back. The race official started us off with a verbal countdown from 5 to 1, and the race began.

At first I felt okay in the water. It takes me a while to warm up so I knew the first section of the swim would be slow going. I tried to relax as much as possible but as the orange caps around me swam closer to me, passed me or collided with me I began to panic. It seemed like it took me forever to get to buoys one, two and three, but eventually I began to relax and feel more comfortable in the water. To my surprise, I was still swimming near other swimmers in my age group. I had expected everyone to pass me early on in the race. Somewhere around buoy 9 the water was too shallow to swim and we all had to walk until it deepened. I grew confident at this point that I would actually finish the swim as buoy 10 was just a little further. As I passed buoy 10, I heard someone say “how many buoys are there?” I looked ahead and realized that the swimmers were not turning around, instead they were continuing onward. Thus, I experienced panic attack number 2 compounded by the aggressive green caps that were determined to swim through whatever or whoever was in their way. Finally I reached three buoys in a row indicating the turn-around. At that point I said to myself, “Okay, you are half way there; just get through this and get out of the water and on your bike.”

Now that I was officially warmed up, the way back seemed to go by a lot faster than the way out. There were a couple of shallow points where I was forced to wade through the water on the way back to the transition; however none were as long or as arduous as the stretch between the starting line and the transition mat at the water’s edge.  That stretch really took a lot out of my legs and I was worried that it would take away from the bike and the run.

Finally, I was out of the water and running along the carpeted aisle to my sandals. I slipped them on and tried my best to smile and wave at the spectators nearby. I ran up the hill towards the bikes when one of my sandals fell off. I bent down picked it up and saw a fellow (male) triathlete next to me struggling over the rocks. Inspired by his determination, I carried my sandal instead of putting it back on (half because I didn’t want to bend over and also because I thought if he can do it, then I can do it too). 

I was so excited to have the swim behind me and to get on my bike.  The excitement was short-lived; as I ran into the bike transition area I recognized my husband’s bike and began to panic. I have been training with Will for several years and I am acutely aware of his capabilities. Will is certainly a faster runner and swimmer than me.  Given the fact that he had a full 5 minute head start on me in the swim, he should have been on his bike by the time I got to mine. So I started to change as my imagination and fears went wild. As I was frantically pulling my bike shirt over my head and considering returning to the water, I heard the familiar voice I know and love say “Hi Sandi, have fun out there.” If you didn’t put two and two together, it was Will wishing me luck as he took off. Apparently, he was sitting down devouring a Cliff bar as I was freaking out. Now that I knew he was okay, it was time to get down to business. I had a mental check list going: 1) turn on bike computer, 2) put on gloves, helmet and shades, 3) slip on bike shoes and 4) grab the bike and GO. If you are reading this carefully, you may notice I skipped Velcroing my shoes…that happened as I was walking my bike down the aisle.

I could feel the adrenaline take over as I was running through transition towards the bike chute. I have dreams of running and jumping on my bike one day like I have seen the professionals do…today was not that day. I carefully climbed on and clipped in and started my bike computer.  Some fellow bikers caught me and passed me early on and asked where the no passing zone was. Being passed early on made me a little worried that the bike would not go as well as I hoped, but I decided not to fret and let Rachel’s advice replay in my head, “Do NOT go out too fast on the bike too soon.”  It did not take me long to warm up and start passing people (including some of the people that passed me early on in the ride). I was about 3 miles into the ride when I caught site of Will. I figured it would be fun to catch up to him check in and ride side by side for a bit.  I was bit too ambitious and not only rode straight passed him but also startled him along the way.

The bike course was awesome…probably my favorite part of the tri overall. With the exception of the curving stretch on an isolated road which made me question whether or not I took a wrong turn. My goal on the bike was to ride comfortably fast and fuel enough for the run ahead. At about 10 miles in, I decided I should have a Honey Stinger Waffle (super tasty).  Of course I started eating it right around the time I met up with other bikers near a fairly sharp right turn, up a hill, with a timid slow moving car near us. It was too risky to ride with one hand so I held the waffle half in and half out of my mouth as I maneuvered the turn…I definitely inhaled some of the waffle but it worked out okay.

The route took us all out to the town of Jenner where we would turn back for the final stretch.  I started to wonder if I would ever see Rachel during the ride. A few miles before the turn, I saw her heading back to the transition. I was super excited to see how well she was doing so I saluted her. Why a salute…I have no idea or explanationJ. Just before the turn around I came upon the aid station on the bike course. Having only one cage with a bottle of water, the Gatorade seemed like an awesome idea, but I still wanted my water. So I took a bottle, drank some and then wondered what I should do with it. I struggled to put it in the back of my jersey and finally managed to stow it away just before the sharp turn around. Finally, I was on my way back to the transition and I was starting to look forward to the run ahead.  I passed Will once more going the opposite way as he approached the turn around.

I was warned that I would be disqualified if I did not dismount my bike before I got the transition area so that’s what I focused on when I got closer. Well that, taking a GU, and reviewing my mental checklist before the run.   I dismounted too soon and held up the people behind me a bit, but at least none of us were DQed, right?  I tried to run my bike back to my transition spot, but I think trotting is more like it.

Once I was back in my spot, I began my mental checklist for the run: 1) turn on Garmin and acquire satellites, 2) hang bike 3) remove helmet, gloves and bike shoes, and 4) put on and tie running shoes.  Check, check, check and check…and I was off on my run! The legs did not feel as good as I was anticipating, in fact they felt like Jello and my form was, well, lacking (my knees were knocking and I felt super slow). I was surprised to see my first mile was sub 7:40 and decided I would maintain the effort assuming (hoping) that I would warm up and feel more comfortable in the miles ahead.

For the most part, I was running with ladies and then I was passed by a middle-aged man. I thought he was going to pull ahead, but it seemed like he was going my pace. After the first water stop, he asked me what the pace was. I was happy to report that we were running sub 7:40s, and I guess he decided he liked the sound of that and stuck with me. Between miles 2 and 3, I saw Travers running back to the finish. I was so excited to see how confident and strong he looked so I said a quick hello and gave him a quick cheer. My fellow runner asked me if I was running with a team and I was more than happy to explain I was there competing with friends. Shortly after, I spotted Rachel who was also on her way back to finish.  Although the run felt hard at that time, I thought I was running downhill and should cheer Rachel on as she ran uphill. Again my newly found running buddy asked me if I was running with a team, so again I explained that I was there with friends.  J

The worst part of the run by far was the turn around, which was right in the direct sun.  It felt great to get back in the shade to finish up the second half. I had to laugh at myself when I felt the miles get slightly easier on the way back, meaning I was actually running uphill when I cheered for Rachel. I had less than 3 miles to go and I needed to keep up the positive attitude. I was hoping to see Will before I got back to the finish – I got my wish and yelled out “I love you!” and quickly explained (before the guy next to me could ask me again about racing with a team) that the man in the red jersey was not only my buddy, but also my husband. The run started getting harder, but soon enough, I had one mile to go (GO TIME). Although my new running buddy tried to stick with me I had to finish my own race. I saw the bridge ahead leading to the all-too-familiar transition area, and new the end was near. Imagine my surprise when I saw the runners ahead of me make a sharp left AROUND the transition and up a steep hill on the far side…WTF?!?!  Time to sprint and git ‘er done!

It was so awesome to have Travers and Rachel cheer for me as I ran up the hill and across the finish line. In addition, they gave me the best cold cup of water I have ever tasted when I was done! Of course we gave Will the same VIP treatment when he finished too J.

What an amazing day and race. Somehow I managed to finish my first Olympic tri in 2:49!