Strathmore "TRI-SMORE" Sprint Triathlon

Training for a short race has been a lot of fun.  When I started training for long races a couple years ago, it was exciting to see that I could actually run longer than an hour.  Every long run in training felt like I had overcome a limit I'd placed on myself in my head.  It was also more meditative and peaceful to run long and slow because the large majority of my runs were in my aerobic heart rate zone, so to stay in this zone I had to just slow down and relax into the run.

A drawback of training for long races, is that it requires so much time, including long rides Saturday.

So, short races were a perfect fit for our family this year.  A nice change from the Ironman and Half Ironman distances the past couple years.

I know I haven't updated this blog much lately.  (I've come to realize that I just feel more sad and irritable if I'm on the computer lots so I'm "cutting back") but even though I haven't been posting, I have been training.  Lots of speed work and building strength.  Short and more intense workouts.  Not sure that I'm any faster but there's so many factors here that it's hard to compare.

Sprint triathlon distances: 500 m swim, 20 km bike, 5 km run.

I've come to love small town races and this triathlon in Strathmore was no different  They changed our start time to 10AM so we could be done to watch Riley do his triathlon at noon.  My parents cheered us on and watched our kids while we raced (thanks mom and dad!).  This was my first pool tri, I've only done mass starts in a lake.  We walked on to the pool deck and asked the swim marshall if we could share a lane and she asked if we preferred 2 or 3 in our lane.  Well, of course two.  Sweet!  We told her we were going to swim on sides (rather than looping around) so could she please not add anyone to our lane until we were done.  We had to cross the start mat and then walk/run to our lane and dive in.  Adam went first and he said his goggle strap flipped up high when he dived, so his goggles slowly filled with water.  He tried to just deal with it but after 7 laps it was driving him crazy, so he stopped and fixed it.

 I felt pretty smooth in the water.  It was fun to race right next to Adam.  Since, he's faster, it was nice to have sides, so we could just do our own thing.  I could hear my kids cheer for me when I pushed off at the spectator end, which was fun too!  My swim technique has improved SO much with swim club and this is my first race since those improvements.  On my last length of 20, I was sprinting in when this lady crashed head on into me in my lane.  I was annoyed and sprinted off...no time to figure out what she was doing there and why she would get in and swim right at me.

I ran out to the transition racks and somebody stole my bike.  No, not really, but I thought someone had because I was looking on the wrong rack for my bike.  Lightbulb moment, "you're on the wrong rack Kim".  Relief.  Quickly dry off with my towel.  Shorts and shirt on over my swimsuit. Race belt on.  Helmet on....backwards.  Running out to the bike exit.  Nice man says, "ummm lady, you're helmet's on backwards."  Ooops.  That would have been sweet if he hadn't caught me.  I would have been wondering why everyone was giving me funny looks on the bike course.

Out on my bike I felt great.  Because the race starts in heats, people were pretty staggered and you're not necessarily racing next to people of similar speed.  I flew past people and felt like we were in different races. I was in the "I'm out to win it" race and they were in the "I'm just taking my time enjoying this triathlon" race.  Of course, both races are valuable and fun but it just meant that it was up to me to push myself.  Back at transition I managed to put my running shoes on forwards :)  My bike split was ok but I knew that I needed to kill it on the run to place well.

About a km in I started to get a cramp, so I slowed to a 5 min/kim pace and took deeper breaths and after awhile it cleared.  With a couple kms left it felt a bit less like fun and a bit more like suffering.  You know that point in a race where it just hurts and it's as much of a mental race as a physical one.  Then I did a farmer blow to the side and out came....blood.  "Oh no, I must be hemorrhaging internally" was my less than rational first thought.  Followed by the more rational, "my nose must have just dried out from the bike."

Then Adam showed up to finish the last km with me.  He said some things like, "finish line is just around the corner, you're doing great Kimmy."  I was like, "do you mind not talking right now."  Then he laughed and said, "this is just like labor.  You suffering and telling me to quit talking so you can deal with it."  I laughed.  I guess when I get in 'the zone' I just like to do my thing and see what strength I have deep inside myself.  I finished the 5 km in 23:35 with my parents and kids cheering and Adam waving to the confused announcer to not announce his time (because he'd already crossed the finish line).

My total time was 1:16 which was good enough for third female overall.  A podium finish!!  

Adam finished in 1:05, third place overall.  Podium for both of us!

Riley did a little triathlon after us.  After he finished he said, "I'm a real triathlete now mom."  My favorite part  was when a group kids started the run and instead of heading out on the course, they all just looped back around to the finish line.  It was like herding cats to get them all going the right directions.  It was cute and I'm proud of Riley for doing it.

As a side note:
My heart goes out to all those affected by the flooding in Calgary and surrounding areas.  We look forward to learning of how we can help those affected and rebuild our city.  Strathmore was not affected by the floods but they had huge bins set up to collect donations for flood relief.  Our family is ready to get our work boots and gloves on, as I know so many of you are too.