CATALINA TRIATHLON NOV 3, 2012

1/2 mile S | 15k B | 5k R
1:17:28   #1 F and M (60-64)
#9/97 F overall
#80/295 overall

Before Sunrise Avalon Harbor

Wave #4 - Swim Start

60-64 Age Group Winner

Finish Line!

SANTA CRUZ TRIATHLON 30th Anniversary Sept 23, 2012

SANTA CRUZ TRIATHLON 30th Anniversary Sept 23, 2012
Olympic Distance

2:48:11
#1/6 (60-64)
#3 - F50+
#28/221 F Overall

The race started about an hour late - the fog just wouldn't lift.

Rounding the buoy at the end of the pier

Evan Kerr - my long lost triathlon buddy - while we waited for the fog to lift

Transition was crowded.. heading out on bike

Awards - first F (60-64)

MALIBU NAUTICA TRIATHLON September 16, 2012
CLASSIC DISTANCE
1/2 mile S | 18 mi Bike | 4 mi Run
1:56:43
#1/8 (60-64)
#37/547F overall

At the Podium with #2 (60-64)

Before the race, waiting for wave #13

JPMORGAN CHASE Corporate Challenge - Sept 12th 2012 San Francisco #4 - Team Lucasfilm women 29:10 - 3.5 miles With thousands of people near Pac Bell Park in San Francisco!

TONY GORA MEMORIAL OUTRIGGER RACES
AUGUST 25th 2012 SANTA CRUZ

9 mile race 1:19

SANTA CRUZ TRIATHLON AUGUST 11, 2012

#1 (60-64) 1:19:56
750 Meter Swim 12.5 mile Bike 5 K Run

SANDMAN TRIATHLON JULY 29, 2012

 1:43:28     #1/2 F (60-64)
#9/77 F overall
#78/224 overall

.75 mile Swim
13 mile Bike
4 mile beach run

DONNER LAKE TRIATHLON JULY 15, 2012
Sprint Distance  58:16   #1/3 F 60-64

MALT Bike Ride West Marin June 9, 2012

Marin Agricultural Land Trust - 52 miles ride in West Marin

BASS LAKE CLASSIC TRIATHLON June 2, 2012  - SPRINT

1:28:55
500 Meter swim - 13:49
12 mile Bike - 46:14

5k Run -26:09

33/178 overall
6/81  F overall

1/3 60-64

What a difference a year makes, last year we had a hail storm the night before the race, this year I think we had a high of 88 degrees on Friday.  I had planned to do the Olympic Distance race, but switched to the sprint at check-in when I realized how hot it would most likely be on Saturday.  I was glad to have made the switch at the finish line.  The Olympic distance has a two loop swim and a two loop run... there's just something hard about going out for that last loop in the run....

I rented a house very close to the race start/finish, so it was incredibly convenient to go rack my bike and then go back to the house to hang out before the race.  It was the usual routine - coffee, vitamins, oatmeal with banana and hammer gel, Race Caps, Endurolytes, Premium Insurance Caps, Super Antioxidant, Mito Caps, Xobaline, Heed.

The race started right on time  -- my wave (women 39+ / pink caps) went off at 7:40am.  My sleeveless Xterra wetsuit and one bathing cap was perfect for the 68 or 69 degree water.  Lots of people swam without wetsuits.. but I like to use a wetsuit for races for the extra buoyancy.

Monterey Bay Outrigger Hoe Wa'a Races - May 26, 2012

Tamalpais Outrigger canoe club Novice Women  #1 of 8 teams  38:35:95

It was a cold and drippy morning, the Tamalpais Novice Women ruled the swells, coming in with a race to the finish on the beach with one of the Novice Men's teams..... we *almost* beat them....  oh well, what a fun race it was.  As usual, Hammer Nutrition prepared me and got me through the 38 minutes.. one bottle of Heed prior to race and usual supplements and vitamins a few hours before the start.

San Diego ITU Age Group Championships - May 12, 2012

Sprint Distance
750 Meter Swim - 12:28
16.6 Mile Bike - 58:38
5 K Run - 29:02
1:44:10

#215/597 overall

#1/11 (F 60-64)

A race at the birth place of triathlon.. Mission Bay, San Diego.  I had not been to Mission Bay for years.. and forgot to bring my trusty map of the area... that turned out to be a big mistake because of the parking situation.  All competitors and spectators were asked to park in a lot a few miles away from the race venue.   I ended up getting lost both on Friday after checking in to the race and riding my friend's bike back to the car....and on Saturday, while riding back to my car after the race..... oh well.. I really should have had that map!


The Sprint race started at 8:50 am.. the Olympic distance had begun earlier.. much earlier.. I think it started at 7am.   I got up at 5:45am, had my usual breakfast (coffee, oatmeal, banana, hammergel, protein powder, Heed and vitamins and supplements - including Premium Insurance Caps, Race Caps Supreme, Zobaline, Super Antioxidants and Mito Caps).  I left La Jolla at about 6:55am to drive to the lot and then get on the shuttle.  We all had to check our bikes in the night before, so riding to the race was not an option.

Getting to the transition area was easy on race morning, I arrived with plenty of hang out time and plenty of time to ponder which wetsuit to wear.  I usually go in the water the day before, but I didn't have any swimming stuff with me on Friday.. so I did the stand in the water test.  People were saying that the water was 64 degrees.. it felt warmer than that, but it's always hard to tell what it will feel like unless you get all the way in the water... I decided to pack both Xterras -- my brand new long sleeve and my trusty sleeveless.   I ended up going with the Sleeveless and just one regular cap... I was very comfortable for the 750 meter swim.. water was reported as 65 degrees on race morning.  I got in the water a few minutes before the race... it was super salty.. I don't know why that should have surprised me, but it did.

The race started on the beach --- we all ran into the water and started to swim like crazy..  All of the buoys were easy to see, turns were well marked and it seemed like easy swim.. until I got to the mud near shore and began slogging my way out of the water.. it felt like gooey sand and dirt... everyone was slowed down by it.

I ran into transition and saw that I was the first in my general racking area to get there.. I took off my wetsuit, put on my helmet, glasses and shoes and took off on the bike course.  The sprint course was one loop, olympic course was two.. I was very glad to to have to do the bike course twice.. it was hilly!


A few women passed me on the bike.. but I didn't notice anyone in my age group.  And as always, I was thankful to get back to T2 with no accidents or mechanical issues.. whew!


Then, there was the run.. the run.. the run.  It was flat, it had potential to be fast.. but not for me.  My delicate right knee makes it difficult to run as much as I really should for training.  As I ran, I saw a group of Outrigger canoes out for a Saturday AM paddle.. that was great!  For a few moments I thought about something other than pounding the sidewalk and trying to get my self to the finish line quickly.  As it turned out, I did manage to win my age group by a few minutes.  I didn't really expect to win this one.. but I'll take it!  It was a thrill to be honored on the podium with all of the other Age Group Champions!

HITS Triathon NAPA - April 14 2012

Hits Triathlon - Sprint:

750 Meter Swim - 14:24

12.4 Mile Bike - 44:43

5k Run - 29:10

1:33:28

#18/137 F overall

#51/247 Overall

#1 (55 - 59)

Do we look cold?  Here we are, (me, Stacey and Kathy), post race..... a couple of hours after we all finished.. notice the down vest, the hats, the layers of clothes.... if there was snow on the ground, you might think that we all had a nice day of skiing!

So, yes, it was cold.  The water temp was in the 50's, so that really wasn't so bad... the problem was the bike ride.  Lots of shady areas, lots of places to go fast and lots of opportunities to get REALLY cold.  In fact,  within the nineteen years that I have been racing in triathlons, I have NEVER been as cold as I was during the last few miles of the bike ride.  The wind chill was brutal - teeth chattering, unable to feel feet, unable to negotiate a drink from my water bottle, etc, etc.

I live about 75 miles from the race venue at Lake Berryessa, so I decided, as I have in the past, to just stay at home and get up early enough to be at the race venue an with enough time to check in and get ready to start the race on time.  In this case, that meant that I had to get up at 2:45am in order to leave my house by 3:30am or 3:40am.   I got up at 2:40am and left my house at 3:40am - after a little coffee and a quick shower.   I made oatmeal w/banana + Apple Cinnamon Hammer Gel, a little protein powder drink, and all of my vitamins to take on the road.  I ate and took all of the vitamins (including Premium Insurance Caps, Super Antioxidant, Mito Caps, Tissue Rejuvenator, Zobaline, Race Caps), at about 5:00am - arrived at the race venue at 5:30am (1hr 40 min drive) - then took 3 extra Race Caps and 3 Endurolytes at 6:00am.

Check in was easy and fast.  The transition area was very organized, each person's name and number were marked, each person had a little bench to use - this was a first for me.. I did end up using the bench during both transitions.

The air temp was in the low 40's at that time of morning.. I put on my full Xterra wetsuit, grabbed two caps, goggles + ear plugs and went down to the water to wait for the start.  I brought my usual small water bottle of Heed to drink just prior to the race.  All of the men started at 7:00am, with all of the women following at 7:03am.  The sun was in our eyes - I ended up way too far to the right from the final turn around bouy, but still ended up with an okay swim time.  The water was definitely cold, but it was really, really clear - it felt good and clean.  After getting back to shore, I usually take off my wet suit at the water's edge, but I was so cold that I just took off the top part while running up the hill, then sat down to get the rest of the suit off at my transition area.

I through on a bike jersey over my wet clothes, put my socks, shoes, glasses and helmet on and took off on the ride.  It was an out and back going back towards the South end of the lake, lots of shady places and lots of wind chill.  I tried to drink a little Heed, but just couldn't really negotiate the bottle and hold on to the bike at the same time.

At T2, I put my running shoes on my "ice-block" feet and went out for the 5k run.  My feet never thawed... it was an eerie feeling but maybe it made the run less painful?  I saw Karen Chequer-Pfeiffer running back to the finish as I headed out on the run.. she's incredible... at age 53, she came # 12 overall with a time of 1:18:30.  I managed to finish #51 overall - the finish line was a happy moment!  And it was great to see the Hammer Nutrition booth there at the finish.. I went over and drank chocolate Recoverite and sampled the new Hammer Bars... yum!  Both really hit the spot!