Trek 2009 Women’s Race Series – Duathlon (1.5 mi run/10 mi bike/2 mi run) - Disneyland

Time: 1:14:10 (goal – around an hour – oops!)
Run 1 – 13:43 (goal – 12 min); ranked 139 of 554 female racers
T1: 1:38
Bike – 41:07 (goal – 30-35 min); ranked 254
T2: 1:38
Run 2 – 16:03 (goal – 20 min); ranked 213 (PR!!!)
Overall rank: 201/554
Age Division Rank: 28/56

How To Ignore Sound Training Advice & Still Cross the Finish Line

It’s looking as if 2009 will go down as a highly unfocused and undisciplined, devil-may care race year for me – hence, the title of this post and race report. Maybe that’s just what I need right now – I don’t know. I just kinda went off the rails after the tri last September and haven’t been as hard-core in my training or as committed to racing. Heck, I even missed out on my chance to be a Legacy Runner (cuz I’m all about titles and awards) at the Surf City Marathon this year and all I needed to do was enter and run the 5K!!!! Before it sold out…

But rather than fight this lackadaisical attitude, I’m gonna go with it and see where it takes me – because I think my body and mind are taking an extended vacay right now to prepare for some crazy shit in the future…like a 3rd place age group medal.

Have Race Gear Prepped and Laid Out for Race Morning

Like everything but my Garmin running watch!!!! You know, that overpriced watch that helps me monitor my heart rate (too high for my liking and possibly safety), mileage (is this torture over yet?!?) and pace – cuz God knows after two years of running, I still can’t tell the difference between a 10-minute mile versus an 8-minute mile without that thing (except that 8-minute miles hurt more)!

So, yes, it would help if I would plug it in properly to the charger. But that didn’t happen, I suppose, because a few days prior to the race, I had run some blistering intervals with my trainer Rick and the resulting PTSD prevented me from plugging the thing in right!
What makes this boo-boo more egregious is that I had done this VERY SAME THING last year at the Placentia Get Fit 5K!!!! Yeah, you should have seen me get my freak out on then! I couldn’t run with just a regular ol’ heart rate monitor!!!! My poor husband Gary couldn’t find the Valium fast enough…for either of us…

But what gave me peace of mind in the wee hours of Sunday morning was that I had PRd last year without that pricey beast of a running watch. I ran an 8:30-ish minute mile – my best race time ever. I thought that if I could pull this stupidity off a second time, then surely another PR was on the horizon. I dropped a couple f-bombs (for my own amusement) and went on my merry way to Disneyland.

Result: ANOTHER PR!!!! In final 2 mile run, ran an 8:01 minute mile (with walk breaks). I never once looked at my heart rate monitor to check out my heart rate (a major feat). I used it only to judge time . . .and when I got those minute walk breaks!

Do Not Alter Your Pre-Race Nutrition On Race Morning

Stick with what works; with what helps you run a strong, safe race. Don’t wanna be surprising your adrenaline-laden tummy and body with pre-race surprises! Really bad things can happen if you try this. Unless you’re me.

Now, I didn’t go all Usain Bolt and chow down a Big Mac before a 100-meter Olympic sprint. I went minimalist this time. I eschewed traditional coffee with creamer and half a peanut butter sandwich on oatnut bread for…coffee, black and a couple teaspoons of Jif. And water (see Mud Run race report for significance of water). I drank water until I emptied my bottle 10 minutes before the race. My mouth started to get dry, but I think that’s pre-race adrenaline and nerves. I was able to run to a water fountain pretty soon after the race started.

Result: Hydration is a big thing for me. I’m an Aquarius for God’s sake! I felt better for the most part throughout the whole race. Heck, I PRd, so I’m going to try this minimalist approach again!


Do Not Use the Race to Break In New Running Shoes

There’s physiological and psychological factors at play here. You can injure yourself running in shoes with which your body is unaccustomed. And why mess with a shoe that makes you feel like Usain Bolt? You and your running shoes should have a beautiful relationship.

Unless you find a hole in your favorite pair of Asics (orthotics fitted to the shoe) a week before the race. And you haven’t heard back from your Asics connection who gets you a sweet deal on your running shoes. And you decide to get fit tested at the highly recommended Running Lab. Two days before the race. Oh, no, my friends. The fun doesn’t stop here – it’s just beginning!

Now I had heard about the very excellent work that Running Lab does on fit testing, but I never heard that to do this outstanding work it requires time and appropriate clothing. Time I don’t have in my afternoon a few days before the race and clothing that least lends itself to running. Oh, yeah – those bastards weigh you, too! Talk about getting started on the wrong foot!
But they poked, prodded, shook their heads and clucked sympathetically (for themselves, not me!) as they observed the staggering difference in leg measurements; a freak of nature over-pronation issue; questionable ankles and other things they had to consult their bio-mechanics guy on! I’m sure they wanted to tell me to hang up my running shoes; that it was hopeless and physically dangerous to me and other runners if I continued, but the commission on a $150 pair of running shoes was far more enticing to them.

Do they send me out with Asic 2120s like I have been wearing since I started running? Heck no! I walk out of there with these industrial Saucony’s – a completely different shoe with a completely different purpose! These things are ugly! They look like the corrective orthopedic shoes that doctors in the 70s used to torture their patients with. They are the running equivalent of a dunce hat!

Result: Massive humiliation and ego-bruising; loathing of parents and their genetics passed down to me; and a depleted checking account. The jury is still out on the shoe and its performance because the jury is still embarrassed by her ridiculous Sauconys!

Post-Race Re-Fueling

Lots of different theories on this that mostly espouse refueling your exhausted muscles with nutritious foods. There are some people who train hard, eat properly and would never dream of polluting their precious post-race bodies with an XL pizza – those are the Chicken and Brown Rice People.

So why do all the best races have beer gardens? Why are some of the best races within post-race staggering distance to cool neighborhood watering holes?

Clearly, I’m no Chicken & Brown Rice Girl (although my body has put me on notice about this matter!). I’m an Efusjon-swilling, waffle & butter-eating (believe it or not, this is a rarity) post-race Wine-Tasting Girl! Nothing repairs the muscles like splitting 10 bottles of whites, reds, and sparklings with a few of your buddies. Wine, cheese, bread and dancing at 10 p.m. on a Sunday night is how I reward my body for a PR!

Result: A very humbling hangover, alcohol bloat and strange, inexplicable bruising which may have had to have something to do with my husband rescuing me from an ill-timed pool plunge.

By the way, this blog took longer to write than it did to finish this race…