Mighty Montauk Race Report

Montauk, Long Island is one of my favorite places on earth. It’s even where Rob and I got engaged 13 years ago. To race in Montauk – to take something I love as much as triathlon and do it in a place this special to me – is the best way for me to feel alive!

Last year, the Mighty Montauk was my first Olympic-distance race. What I remember most from that race was the difficult swim. When I finally dragged myself out of the water, it was as if I was re-enacting a species’ transition from water to land animal. I was also too conservative on the bike. Last year, I finished in 2:18:15 and was first in my division, 5^th woman overall. My goal for this year was to beat last year’s time and hopefully have a much better swim. I wanted top-three overall, but because you never know who your competition will be, a goal based on placing isn’t exactly the best goal to set.

I get to the transition area nice and early and notice there are no race number assignments on the bike racks. Wow, glad I got here when I did! I pick what seems to be a good spot and start laying out my gear. Later on, I can see people having trouble finding places to set up. This had to be really frustrating for them! I begin wiggling into the wetsuit when suddenly, I feel “pop!” The seam that attaches the left leg to the torso on the suit has come completely undone. It’s like someone cut a 4-inch gash right across my hip. I can’t believe it -- this is going to be like swimming with a parachute attached to my body!

I’ve learned not to panic when things like this go wrong because somehow, there are always things going wrong. You have to roll with it and make the best of the situation. Lucky for me, the lovely woman next to me hands over the last of her electrical tape and, with the help of my friend Gary and another kind stranger, we patch up the hole as best we can. I must also mention that I try to make a new friend at every race. Kristin Budden, the electrical tape carrying tri goddess, is someone I already consider a friend. She’s also a fantastic triathlete who finished second at this race. I knew I did something right when I chose to rack my bike next to hers!

At most races, I start the swim front and center, but after the wetsuit mishap, I decide to start behind the front row of women. This was a mistake because I immediately had to start swimming over and around other girls to find a decent line and I know this was a waste of energy and time. However, once I got into a rhythm, I managed a good pace and even was able to pick it up on the way back to shore. I think I could’ve done even a bit better, but I came out of the water feeling awesome and smiling, the opposite of last year. Last year’s swim time: 27:11. This year: 27:02. So, the pace was the same, but the feeling was much better. Considering the wetsuit was an issue, I’m okay with it.

Into T1, no big story here, though I did it significantly faster. As I mentioned, I was beat when I got out of the water last year, but this year, feeling good. My previous T1 time was 2:57 and this year it was 2:00. Not bad!

I felt great on the bike and passed two women along the way. Most of the time I was alone, but it wasn’t hard to maintain focus because on all the out and back turns, I could see the pro wave on its way back. I had so many positive thoughts in my head that kept me going strong. I knew I had it in me to really push the pace this time, so I went for it and smiled to myself the whole time. Last year’s bike: 1:01:06. This year: 00:58:09! Woo hoo! Sub-one hour was what I was hoping for.

Around the turn into T2. Nothing much to say other than I cut only one second off last year’s split. 1:02 down to 1:01. What was I doing in there so long? I need to get this to under a minute.

Ah, the run. I know I went out too fast and I wasn’t fully prepared for the rolling hills I had ahead of me. It felt really tough. The run course has a lot of out and back, much like the bike, so it’s easy to see how ahead (and behind) you are from the rest of the pack. I was able to pick off two or three women early on and maintain that spread between us throughout (making sure to smile and encourage them when I passed by), but I could also see that there was no way I’d catch up to the four women who were ahead of me.

By mile 4, I came to realize I’d finish fifth woman overall for the second year, but I was so happy for Kristin because she looked like she was having a great race. She shouted words of encouragement to me and I to her each time we passed each other. At one point, I yelled to her that she was second hoping that would get her going and maybe into first, but the woman in front had a three-minute lead on her. She still moved up to second from third overall in 2008 and improved her time by about three minutes.  As for me, my run time was 44:59 compared with 46:01 last year. Just under 45 minutes still feels a lot better than just over 46, though!

I finished the race in 2:13:10, a full five minutes faster than last year. Like last year, I was the fifth woman overall and first in my division. Interestingly, the second-place winner was a full 10 minutes behind me and the third-place winner was 10 minutes behind her.

Five things to do while tapering

1) Clean out my makeup drawer. There are things in there from the '90s and I'm not going back to the grunge look anytime soon. 

2) Watch the entire three weeks of Giro D'Italia. This would definitely put things into perspective.

3) Sit on a bench in Central Park and critique every runner's and cyclist's form as they pass by. C'mon, you know you do it, too!

4) Have a 2nd, 3rd, 4th cup of coffee, coffee, COFFEE!!!!

5) Get on the subway, head to a neighborhood I rarely visit and be a tourist in the greatest city in the world. 

Ready to race

Getting ready to race this Saturday at the Mighty Montauk olympic-distance tri on Long Island. I love Montauk and this race was one of my favorites last year. Then, I came in fifth woman overall, first in my division, with a time of  2:18:15. It was my first-ever olympic-distance race and it sort of thew me because the swim seemed like forever and on the bike, I was way too conservative. The run was a little tough and hilly, but I know I'm a much better runner this year than I was last, so I shouldn't have a problem there. 

After a tough, 91-mile bike ride on Monday and a race-simulation swim and core work yesterday, I'm taking it relatively easy the second half of this week. Today, I had a light pedal through the park as I coached Team Lipstick. My legs are feeling Monday's workout, so the run I had in mind for this morning will either wait for tonight or won't happen at all. I'm all about eating properly, hydrating and resting for the next 3 days. 

My open water swim partner

Last summer, almost every weekend, this was my training partner. These jellyfish were everywhere in the LI Sound and I swam with them, sting after sting, for up to an hour at a time. I'm sitting here wondering how the hell I got myself through that and whether or not I can do it again this year. Even with the wetsuit, I'd get stung across my wrists, ankles, feet, and, worse yet, neck and face.

Thing is, nothing can take the place of open water swim training. Case in point: this winter, I really focused on my swim, since that's definitely my limiter and it's the best thing to do when the weather's bad. I added an extra swim workout per week and also made sure I followed a well-structured plan. By Spring, I had improved my stroke, lengthened each stroke's distance, and taken over 5 seconds off my avg. 100 yd pace. Despite this, at my first tri in May -- and my first open water swim of the season -- my 100 yd pace was more than 15 seconds slower than in practice and identical to that of my first tri ever three years ago! Talk about disappointment.

I believe a number of things contributed to this. One, it was my first race as coach, with this being the first tri ever for many of my athletes. My focus, for once, was not completely on my own race. Two, as I mentioned, it was my first time in the open water, and in the wetsuit, since last October. All the pool sessions in the world will not prepare you for swimming in the open water, and in the wetsuit. Three, I sighted TOO MUCH! This takes a lot of energy and time. I tend to veer slightly right in my swim and I started obsessing over it right before the race began. I should have sighted about every 5 strokes, but instead I turned the 2nd half of the swim into sighting practice, looking up every 3!

But...I'm shaking off last month's swim and looking forward to the rest of the season. Rather than dwelling on what went wrong, I'm celebrating what went right. I felt good on the run. I controlled my pace very well (actually, could've gone a little harder) and had the second-fastest run time among women. Yay! Now, how to navigate the jellyfish...?

Just when things are going well

I've been having a great week of training. Setting new PRs (after the 20:14 5k run on Monday, I swam a solid, comfortable set of 500s in 7:40-7:44 on Tuesday, then clocked a 17-minute 6.1 mile lap in Central Park on my bike yesterday). I've also been having a much better feeling about where I'm going with triathlon and life in general. Not even minding the rainy weather. Then yesterday afternoon comes along and I get a nice dose of reality.

On my last of 60 box jumps at the gym, I lost my concentration. My legs were already tired when I started, so I shouldn't have even been doing them in the first place, come to think of it. Anyway, on the last one, I missed the landing and scraped about a two-inch gash into my shin. There being no "meat" on the shin bone to begin with, it didn't bleed all that much, but there it was, my bone, staring back at me. Of course I just slapped a bunch of band-aids on it and continued with my workout, but that had to be the adrenaline stopping the pain from hitting me.

It was really painful last night, probably because it's got to be bruised as well, but not as bad this morning. What I'm upset about is that I can't really get in the pool for at least the rest of this week because I need it to heal as much as possible before next week's race in Montauk. 

Today was going to be run and swim, but I guess I'll be sticking to just running. 

My new baby's almost home!

My new baby is due to arrive in a week from tomorrow. I'm excited all over again for her to show up after waiting since April. The annoying thing about it is that the first race I really wanted to ride her in is two days after I get her. I know it would be really stupid to race a brand new bike, especially since it's my first tri bike, only two days after I get it. So tempting, though, since the bike course is perfect for a bike like this. Anyone want to give me some thoughts here? 

I love NY!

Had a great run in Central Park today. If I followed my usual training schedule, I'd have been on the bike and in the pool, but I wanted to run, so that's what I did. After all, I write my own program, which means I get to change it!

I decided to run an open 5k since most of my run training lately has been either intervals or long distance at an easier pace. I did the 3.1 miles in 20:50, but I knew I could do better, so I walked a little then did a second 3.1. This time in 20:14, which is a 6:30 m/m average and a new personal best! In the back of my mind, I've always wanted to do a sub-20:00 5k race and I now know that's possible!

I got so much encouragement out there, too. First a guy on a bike shouts "great form!" then another rides by and gives me the thumbs up. And as I'm walking home along CPW, an old-ish guy with a cane says, "good morning, beautiful!" Keep in mind, this was after a balls-out run. I think he needs glasses more than that cane, but hey, it still made me smile.