5.5 Week Checkpoint

With just over 5 weeks left until the IronGirl, I’m realizing it’s time to get my but in gear in terms of triathlon training. Heading out for a bike ride after work just because I feel like is definitely not going to cut it, especially if I want to do well this year.

So last night I headed to my first CNY Triathlon Club training race and boy did I learn a lot. To say that it was a disaster might be a stretch but it definitely didn’t go well. In all honesty though, it was still a blast and a great learning experience. I feel really lucky to live in a community that has so many great resources for training. We’ve got Kevin’s running program with 200 runners, the CNY Tri Club has over 900 members, the swim clinics at the Y, and too many group rides going on every weekend to name.

Photo Credit: Syracuse.com

It’s also way better to know where I stand with 5 weeks to go then to find out the week before like I did last year. That all worked out in the end but the goal this year is to do better.

So what happened? Well let’s start with the fact that the air temperature was only about 64 degrees and it was completely overcast. Exactly the type of weather that makes you want to get in a lake sans wetsuit, right? I wish you could have heard the running commentary going through my head the whole time. Every thought from, “what the hell am I doing?” to, “hey, this isn’t so bad!” and, "OMG I just drank a gallon of lake water I hope this isn't as dirty as Oneida Lake" went through my head at some point or another. It wound up taking me 13 minutes, 35 seconds. Not terrible, but not great either. At least I know that I have some work to do.

Out of the water, up the hill to the transition area, I didn’t feel too bad. I probably could have gone out harder in the swim, but for the first time the effort level was probably right. I threw on some warmer clothes, put on my bike shoes and headed out. Running to the mount area on the bike shoes wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it would be. But unfortunately the bike portion kind of went downhill from there. I was literally getting passed by EVERYONE. I felt so slow and sluggish. My quads were pretty tired from the beginning and I couldn’t figure out why. It was only a 10 mile bike but it felt like FOREVER until the turnaround. The first half took me about 25 minutes. Not great, but it there were a lot more hills than the IronGirl course will have. I finally made it to the turnaround and was feeling pretty decent as I headed back when disaster struck in the form of a pothole. Yup, you guessed it—major flat. Bummer. The bigger bummer? I was still 3 miles from the beach and I didn’t have a flat kit. Needless to say that’s my first stop after work tonight. Luckily, three of the nicest women I’ve ever met stopped, offered me tire irons, spare tubes and a CO₂ kit. It was good practice for all of us and I am so grateful to them for their help! Thanks a millions Kristen, Kelly & Denise! I’m sending lots of good karma your way :)

Image from here...I wish I'd been carrying a cell phone!

I finally got back on the road and headed back to transition. I forgot to stop or even look at my watch when I got the flat so I have no idea how long the bike took. I had pretty much decided not to run, but when I got back a woman I had met earlier in the night was waiting for me. She introduced herself as “Crazy Hardcore Lynn.” Love it! Well CHL told me I should run, so I ran. I wasn’t about to be outdone so I had to prove my hardcoreness (if that’s a word).

I’m really, really glad I decided to run. It proved to me that I have the run fitness and that all the hard work I’ve been putting in with Kevin is really paying off. I only ran for about 20 minutes, but I felt really strong and my legs felt surprisingly fresh. It was a great way to end the night and an awesome confidence boost.