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Race Recap: Folsom International Triathlon

May 15, 2013

After I got injured, I knew I was going to train again and achieve my Ironman dream. However, signing up for another Ironman, let alone one that was sold out and I had to buy a foundation spot for, meant that I had to watch my budget closely and I wouldn’t be able to sign up for multiple races leading up to IMCDA. Thus, I knew I wanted to do at least one triathlon before my A race, but it had to be cheap and close.

Enter the 2nd Annual Folsom International Triathlon: 1.5K swim, 40K bike, 10k run

I registered, I told my family about it, I told my coach about it so he could work it into my schedule, and that was about all the thought that went into it. Even during the week leading up to the race, I was simply considering it as a good Saturday brick workout, i.e. I didn’t look at the course, the details, nada.

Friday night I packed my stuff, we woke up and Chicken Face drove the two hours to Folsom, where some of my favorite people in the world would be as well:

Baby Kaleb’s first triathlon!

Love them!

I didn’t expect my mom, dad, sister, brother-in-law and my nephew all to come! Definitely the best part of the day <3

So where were we, oh ya, this whole triathlon thing. My goal was to get re-acquainted to the race day atmosphere, open water swimming, transition practice, and try and push it if I could. But given that I had run my first 20 mile long run two days prior, by legs were heavy and tired; I was anxious to see what would happen.

The start was pretty seamless as it was a small race. Race-day check-in, no line at the port-a-potties, body marking, and transition set-up — easy shmeezy. I also wore my SOAS race kit that I bought last year and raced in it for the first time. It was AMAZING. Zero complaints here (I’ll do a full review on the kit soon!).

But then I looked out and realized that the swim start was waaaaaay out there. Apparently, the water levels were down this year and the swim start was a solid 800 meters (or it least it felt like it) down uneven dirt and rocks. What does this mean? That post-swim we would have to run up it to the bikes for T1…and there was no man-made path. I know, first world problem, but definitely not ideal.

The Swim

We made our way down to the start where I got in the water, did my drills and got a mini swim warm-up in. You couldn’t see crap in the water, but I’m used to it now, and the temps were perfect. It was exactly what the doctor order.

Soon it was time for the wave beach start. My age group was fairly small, so we all chatted and then ran when the gun went off. The water was so shallow that I ended up running further than most as I’m sure my slow swim wouldn’t have been any faster than me trying to run through the water.

I dove in and just began to sight and swim. NO ANXIETY. I somehow found myself swimming solo. The fast people were far ahead of me and I was just ahead of the back pack. No one to draft off of, just me making my way around the buoys.

I simply found my swim zone and counted down the buoys as a way to break the swim up. Next thing you know, I’m at the finish, ripping off my cap, running up the dirt path and making deals with the devil as I beg to not roll my ankle on the rocks.

Swim Finish: 1.5K — 27:18 — 1:40/100 yard

The Bike

Transition was quick, well, except for the fact that I put on socks (hello, blister!) and I don’t have Yankz on my shoes. The bike wasn’t difficult per se, but rather it felt like roller after roller after roller…with a big roller/baby climb near the end. It was enough to keep you on your gears and feeling the difference — my legs definitely were. No spring chickens here.

The only part I can really complain about was as we neared the finish of the bike, there was a volunteer telling us to slow down and be careful as there was a 75 ft. gravel path we had to ride on to get to the road. WTF?! I felt like I was taking my tri bike mountain biking — NOT COOL! Please find a different route as this made me come to almost a complete stop for 75 feet, not only loosing all speed but any momentum.

Bike Finish: 40K — 1:24:40 — 17.6/mph

The Run

Oh silly Page, you didn’t bring your trail shoes. But how would I have known? The site said “challenging” run, but that was it. They failed to mention that it was 6.1 miles of mostly single track trail that would go UP and DOWN, UP and DOWN, UP and DOWN, in the blazing heat.

People were dropping like flies and were either verbally huffing, puffing and cursing, or just plain walking. I did not expect this AT ALL. But perhaps I have myself to blame as I didn’t do my homework. Regardless, this course was tough, but it’s intensity was multiplied by the relentless heat. My legs were heavy and I decided that my goal would be to just stay steady. Don’t over exert as it would just burn me out.

I kept it slow, I kept it focused, I dumped water on myself at almost every aid station, and I even had to walk twice up to steep climbs and down a few so that I wouldn’t fall or hurt my ankle (I really wish they told us to bring trail shoes).

The great thing about this course is that all of the athletes were in it together, telling each other “good work,” or venting together about the heat. Occasionally there would be a view that was so gorgeous it would distract you for all of eight seconds, but then it was back to the trails and the heat.

I saw my sister, nephew and brother-in-law on the final stretch in, and she shouted, “You’re third!” I coud see Chicken Face and my parents at the finish and was so happy to be done. I was not expecting such a challenging course today.

Run: 10k — 54:12 — 8:43

My body was feeling the result of the training and such a challenging triathlon, but the good news about small races is this:

Finish: 2:46:09

(The race site doesn’t have detailed results up yet…hoping for those soon)

Yaaaaaaay third in my age group. The woman who got first in my age group also got first overall and set a new course record (2:18:15 — damn!). I even hear one of the top female finishers say that this race was, “Like a mini Wildflower, but on actual trails.”

What I am excited about is to see the volume that my body can now handle. Never before would I have been able to run 20 miles, have a crazy intense Friday, then an international triathlon, followed by 3,000 OW yards and a 100 mile bike ride on Sunday. During Ironman training, endurance is the name of the game and I’m so grateful that my body if letting me do this.

Now on to the next week of peak training.

Happy Running!

27 Comments | Posted in Races, Uncategorized

2013 SOAS Amateur Race Team

February 20, 2013

Last year I was on a quest.

I’m not speaking of my journey to Ironman quest in this post, but rather the quest for the perfect tri “kit.” A triathlon “kit” is a top and a bottom that you can wear for all three sports. A kit needs to be tight enough to wear under a wetsuit while you swim, long enough that you can contort into odd shapes and still be covered (and wind resistant) on the bike, and comfortable enough that you can run chafe-free. All of this while being appropriately fit for a woman, long enough for my freakish torso and to be honest, cute enough to make you look feminine and fast*.

Testing out my SOAS kit last year.

After racing in a variety of triathlon pieces (none of which were actually designed to work together), I decided to purchase a kit that I had been hearing so much about: a SOAS kit. I tested it out on a few final workouts leading up to the race and was uber-impressed. I was in love with the racer back top, was giddy that the shorts were long enough to get the job done but short enough to not warrant an SNL mom-jeans skit and had a great look to it. It fit well, it was functional and I even got a few compliments! Can I get a HUZZAH?!

When I saw that SOAS was looking for applicant for their 2013 amateur race team, I jumped at the chance, but didn’t really share with anyone that I had applied. I submitted my application and got the shocking/exciting news last week: I was accepted as part of the 2013 team! To say that I’m pumped would be an understatement. I’m honored and ecstatic to be part of a team that is working to empower women in this sport, all while making them functional, feminine and fast.

I’ll make sure to share more SOAS news as it comes in, but I’m even more ready for this season, racing in some awesome gear and being part of the team.

If you want to learn more about SOAS, send some social love on their Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Happy Running!

*Nota Bena: For crying out loud, it doesn’t have to be pink and have butterflies if it’s made for women! I hereby petition a ban on all tri kits with flowers and butterflies.

23 Comments | Posted in SOAS

Race Reflections: Ironman 70.3 Vineman

July 18, 2012

Hellllllllllo – it’s Page! I’m still up here on cloud nine right now. Can someone please tell me how I can make a permanent home here? Everything is rainbows and butterflies – quite nice.

I thought I’d take a moment to discuss some of the (caution: work jargon ahead) key learnings from Vineman 70.3 and opportunities moving forward. But don’t worry, this blog post doesn’t include any text heavy slides, awkward stock photography or baffling budgets.

Taper Tantrums: They are real and they will play evil, evil games on you. Seriously, you will do everything in your path to ensure that you get to race day in one piece and despite your best intentions, your body will have a vicious fit.
Taper Tantrum Cures: As much as taper tantrums are just that, a tantrum, I also believe it’s your body’s way sending you a message. If something hurts, baby it like crazy. I cut out all running for almost a week, iced, rolled, got massages and stayed off of my knee as soon as it started acting up. It also helps to have friends sending good vibes your way.
Check Your Bike: With running, the only thing you really need to take care of is yourself. Not so in triathlon – your bike is another expensive machine that needs to be checked and re-checked prior to race day. I’ve been having some problems shifting my bike down into the front small gear (like my fancy terminology there?) and while sometimes it worked seamlessly, other times it didn’t. I had already taken it into the shop once and when it started acting up again, I took it back in. It turns out that my front deraillleur was bent and when they tried to fix it the first time, it just got bent again. So the fantastic folks at Livermore Cyclery fixed my deraillleur by installing a brand new one, of the next level up, for FREE! Please picture me doing a fist pump here.

In addition to upgrading and fixing my deraillleur , they took the time to explain to me how to clean my chain (apparently you need to – who knew) and why the basic model chain ring I have makes it harder to shift. Thus, I see some component upgrades in my future.
Get There Early: For running races, I liked to get to the expo/race starts early simply to avoid the lines and crowds. However, I’d urge you to get to the triathlon/T1 or T2 set-up early not only to get your goods, but to rack your bike or place your T2 stuff as close to the end as possible. If not, you’ll be forced to squish your bike into a rack that is already overwhelmed, or far down the line. The closer to the end, the less you have to run and the better your transition times will be.
Swim the Venue: As mentioned in my race recap, swimming the venue, even if just for a bit, was the smartest race-prep step I took. It immediately helped me ease all of my open water anxiety fears. If you want to go a step further, swim the venue without your wetsuit (if it’s safe, of course!). My wetsuit is my proverbial safety blanket as I know I won’t drown in it. Thus, logic tells me that if I can swim the venue sans wetsuit, I am the equivalent of Aqua Man. Like I said: logic.
Eat Like A Champ: As one would assume, try to eat healthy leading up to a race, but for me, eating like a champ isn’t about changing your diet, but about fueling. I didn’t skip the glass of wine and I didn’t deprive myself of anything. Instead, I carbo-loaded, I ate normally and I had a strategic fueling plan on the bike (that I will share later). Like Coach Paul told me: don’t change a thing, but don’t try anything new either.
Don’t Be an Dumb & Learn To Swim Straight: Seriously. Just because I don’t see other orange cappers around me doesn’t mean that my fitness has imploded and I’m in dead last place. I don’t know what the hell I was thinking. Well, apparently I wasn’t thinking because I spent a lot of time swimming back in the right direction. Note to self: work on sighting.
Ride to the Right & Be Polite: There I was, minding my own business when some pro cyclist came zooming by and barked at guy saying, “Hey man, you need to ride to the right.” (Insert extremely really snarky tone.) I get that this guy wasn’t riding all the way over to the right, and honestly, he was making it hard to pass. However, that chick needs to lose the ‘tude. He’s probably just a normal guy trying to complete a freaking half Ironman and here she comes, spitting nasty tone. And come to think of it, she didn’t even call out “on you left!”
By the way, I tried to call out “on your left” when passing people as much as possible and when I did, people actually said, “Thank you.” I would then say thank you back, and they would actually respond with, “You’re very welcome.” Now that’s sportsmanship!
Ice In Your Bra Works: Enough said.
Cheerleading IS a Real Sport: Seriously, who wakes up at 4 in the morning, makes t-shirts, and sits hours on end in the heat just to see you for a few seconds at a time? Freaking awesome cheerleaders, that’s who! Knowing that they would be at the start, each transition and at the end, kept me moving and I was so happy they were there. If your family is unable to make it, Chicken Face is available for hire. Sherpa and photography fees apply.
Smile Like Idiot: I said it before and I’ll say it again, the entire bike ride I thought about yelling, “I FEEL F****** AWESOME!” multiple time. As I look back, I realize how much I’m growing to love triathlon and the challenges that it presents. There will always be room to grow, fears to overcome and a lot of adventures to be had, and I plan of smiling like an idiot the entire time.

What are some of your favorite running or triathlon tips?

Happy Running!

9 Comments | Posted in Race Reflections

What I Learned From My First Duathlon

March 15, 2012

99.9% of the time, my dreams consist of some outlandish experience where I’m a) trying to escape harm or a bad guy, or b) me trying to rescue someone. They also generally include a “celebrity” appearance. Dream interpreters, do what you will with that information.

The night of the South Bay Duathlon I had another crazy dream. Unfortunately, I can’t remember it all, but what I do remember is that it involved me riding my new bike during the race, which took place in an old western town and I was trying to escape something. But instead of it being my beautiful new Trek in my dream, it was a little tricycle made for a toddler. I remember thinking, “The bike shop duped me!!!”

In my dream, I was furious that I wasn’t smart enough to ask the right questions to get the right bike, embarrassed that I looked like an idiot on my tricycle that I thought what a tri bike and just plain frustrated.

Obviously, there are some deep rooted fears hidden in there, but like I mentioned in this post, facing my fears was the best way to wash my tricycle nightmares away. It reinforced that the best way to learn is through experience itself, so I wanted to share with you a few key things I learned from the race.

1. Parking lot intimidation is a bunch of crap. You know who I’m talking about. The people doing “serious” warm-ups, “serious” stretches, and always have one hell-of-a “serious/I’m totally going to pummel your ass” look on their face. Whatever. It’s all a ploy, their poker face if you will. Just focus on you and your race alone.

2. Stuff is just that…stuff. I set out my transition gear and had five things: shoes, helmet, glasses, a water bottle and gloves (which I later learned I don’t need). But what is all of this stuff everyone else has? Their space was littered with what seemed like an entire sporting goods store – what essential items was this Fred missing? Low and behold, I just did fine without all of the extra stuff. Don’t worry about what things you don’t have and instead just go with what you need. You’ll be fine.

3. Know your fueling strategy ahead of time. Thanks to Coach Paul, I was under strict orders of how much to eat and when. Even though there were many time I didn’t feel like eating or thought that I didn’t need it, I followed his recommendations and wouldn’t you know it, I actually felt fantastic before, during and after the race. Coach Paul is one smart guy.

4. Cycling photos are awful. Seriously. After seeing my race photos yesterday, Chicken Face reassured me, “I guess the helmet look doesn’t work for you.” Thank you, husband.

5. Don’t forget to do what you ultimately came to do: have fun. I was freaking out so much about this “debut” race, that I totally lost grasp of why I signed up for the race in the first place. So many fears overwhelmed me that it could have been detrimental, but once I was out there, I found myself in my element. I always make sure to look around, take in the scenery and smack a ridiculous smile on my face. Try it out sometime – it seems to work.

What are your best tips for a debut/your first race?

Happy Running!

15 Comments | Posted in My Two Cents

Race Recap: Las Vegas Santa Suit 5K

December 6, 2011

I would like to call this race my attempt at peer pressure:

Oh heeeeeeeey, Aron. So, I found this 5K in Vegas the day before the half. It could be a great shakeout run, it’s $35, you get a long sleeve cotton tee, a cinch bag, snacks, oh and um, a full five-piece Santa suit as they are trying to break the Guinness Book of World Records for the most people running in a Santa Suit. Oh, and if you don’t come, we can’t be friends.

It worked.

Saturday morning Aron and I made the wise decision of running to the start of the race from our hotel. What we thought would be three miles, turned into four miles in the wind and cold, arriving at the race start with little time to spare.

We grabbed our packets and started suiting up (no pun intended…well, sort of). If you happen to do this race next year and the suit provided to you has a giant hole in the front “crotchal” region, feel free to ask them to replace it. I am talking from experience here, people.

Pants? Check.

Jacket? Check

Belt? Check.

Hat? Check.

Beard? Double check.

We were looking goooooooooood.

We signed our life away to the Guinness Book of World Records, watched Santa parachute in from a helicopter above (is it not obvious that we are in Vegas?) and found our way into the sea of Santas.

If you are curious about our pacing, fueling strategy or any other “real” running details, you won’t find it in this race recap because any attempt at actual running was a joke. I ran with the cinch backpack on, the belt wouldn’t stay tight, I stopped to tie my shoes, the pants were practically hammer pants and I got enough beard hairballs that I’d put Aron’s cats to shame.

We pretty much trotted along for what was actually 2.9 miles and just enjoyed seeing thousands of Santas and their festive pets make their way along the course.

However, as chaotic as it was, it was still a pretty cool experience. Should you take part in next year’s Las Vegas Santa Suit run? Definitely! I mean, what’s better than running with a fake beard?

Have you ever run this race? Or any race at all in costume?

Happy Running!

12 Comments | Posted in Races

Race Recap: NorCal Half Marathon

September 19, 2011

I went into Sunday’s NorCal half marathon with a general idea of what I wanted to do (PR!), but with only one strategy in mind: keep under 6:55 per mile. Looking back at this plan, it probably wasn’t the wisest. The speed work was there, but not completely in the shed. Thus, I relied on pure mental gusto, thinking about Reno, and my buddy Katie who I ran with. So without further ado, I present to you the NorCal half marathon race recap.

Saturday, I was purely excited. Sunday morning, the nerves set in. I over-carb-loaded on Saturday (two bowls of pasta too many), and could barely finish my normal bowl of pre-race oatmeal. But I was sure to get my green tea down for a swift kick in the pants.

The fantastic Chicken Face drove Lola and I down to San Jose, where we were quickly bombarded by the oohs-and-awes of Lola onlookers. To her credit, it was her second birthday and she was in her hand-made birthday outfit. But I digress…soon, we met up with Kristin, Katie, Alyssa and Alysyn, engaged in the usual pre-race banter and took to the start line.

Three…two…one…we were off! Like that, my legs were moving, my heart was pounding and it didn’t stop for 13.1 miles. The first portion of the race weaves through downtown San Jose and proved to be quite fun. Katie and I seemed to stay silently together the entire way and while the miles felt longer than normal, I could feel myself pushing every moment of the race.

The good news was that I was having a great time running and smiling throughout downtown. Highlights included seeing Chicken Face as we looped back past the start – SMILE!

Soon, Katie and I came to a paved trail that weaved throughout a park. While the weaving wasn’t ideal, it was still on pavement and the park was easy on the eyes. Easy shmeezy. Only a few miles later, the sweet streets ended and we hit the gravel that we were warned about…DUN DUN DUNNNNNN. I can credit the start of the gravel to the beginning of my demise. Not used to the uneven terrain, I was feeling uneasy and I could see that Katie was getting frustrated as well. Woops-ankle-roll-here-woops-ankle-unsteady-there.

When we saw the leading male pass us on the other side, it could only mean one thing: we would have to loop all the way back on the same gravel trail. OH CRAP! We had no choice but to keep on trekking and the gravel felt never-ending. Where was the turnaround? Where were the other runners? Why is it getting so hot?!

By the time we reached the turnaround, the tight U-turns slowed us down to a sluggish trot and it seemed to kill any momentum we had left. We had to physically and mentally pick our spirits back up to face the gravel race to the finish. At this point, I could feel my legs belt out that they had had enough. My energy wilted to the place where you have to dig deep. Everything inside of you begs to walk for just 30 seconds or perhaps slow to a still admirable 7:30/mile pace. While slogging through the final miles sounded appealing, Katie was by my side reminding me that there was only two miles to go in the now intense heat and we could do it…no problem.

I thought about Chicken Face, I thought about my family, and I thought about the young man who had cerebral palsy who died in the Reno Air Races this week. My tired legs were nothing in comparison to the pain his family must be feeling and I would push it through for all of them.

We finally looped past the other runners, this time with the dirt kicking up in my face reminding me why I desperately need to invest in sunglasses. When we finally reached the 13 mile marker, I looked at Katie and said, “Ready?” She replied, “Ready…” and we gave the last 100 the every bit of speed that we had left.

We crossed the finish line together in 1:30:22 — 1^st in my age group (if you remove the elites, which they did), 6^th female, 25^th half marathoner overall and a new PR!

We later found out that the first female crossed the finish line in 1:19 (take that in for a moment…1:19!!) and the second place girl had qualified for the Olympic trials! Why were such elite runners racing in an inaugural, local event? I can tell you: the prize money! This race is one of only a few local races that offer actual prize money for placing overall. Nota bene: offer cash and the elites will come.

Overall, this race was tough. The heat was intense, the gravel was challenging and the u-turns were tight. But when I look back at the race, everything turns to a rosy-colored hue. What’s life without a good challenge? The race was well organized, the first half was scenic and flat, the medal was a solid keeper and plus, the first place age group prize was wine!

I guess it’s like the oh-so-wise @TinyBuddha said on Twitter today, “There are always two choices. Two paths to take. One is easy and its only reward is that it’s easy.” ~Unknown

A big thank you to the NorCal half marathon folks for having me and happy running!

27 Comments | Posted in Races

The NorCal Half Marathon & A Discount Code

August 30, 2011

After the SF Half Marathon, I decided that I needed to throw another half marathon into the mix to really put my legs and heart to work and see what I could get out of them.

The qualification for such race included:

Flat and fast: I want to see what my legs are made out of, and as I much as I love the hills of SF, I just want to run.
Close to home: It’s all about being cost effective here.
Affordable: we need to buy a sleeper sofa next…le sigh.

After I tweeted about my quest to find the next half marathon, many of you had some great suggestions and if I had pockets-full of frequent flyer miles, you better believe that I’d be doing some fall traveling.

However, when the NorCal marathon and half marathon reached out to me about joining them at their race, I looked over their info and found a perfect match. Here’s what the official site has to say about the race:

Come experience the Brand New Northern California Marathon and Half on September 18, 2011. The fast course begins and ends at the Arena Green, adjacent to the HP Pavilion Arena. It will wind through downtown San Jose, through the San Jose State Campus, heading North near Alviso, turning south working its way back to the Arena.

So on September 18^th, I’ll be headed down to San Jose to take on the NorCal Half. But not only is this good news for me, but even better news for you because the race folks were nice enough to give you guys a 10% off discount code. Just use:

twentysixandthensome

Feel free to share this discount code with your friends, blogs, Twitter friends, and your dogs.

Oh! It gets better! This race is part of the new California Marathon Series that includes special series medals and you know how I love my extra bling blang. Finish the NorCal half or full, as well as the Morgan Hill half and full, and you score a second medal.

You can find all of their info on the following sites:

NorCal Marathon Facebook
NorCal Marathon Twitter
CA Marathon Series Facebook

Not only am I excited to be a part of a new race right in my back yard, but I’d love to see some of your smiling faces there as well. Let me know if you are going to be in town, racing, or even spectating.

Happy Running!

Note: The NorCal marathon has graciously provided me with an entry into this race. But as always, I would never promote something I am not truly excited about or do not believe in. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

6 Comments | Posted in Discounts, Half Marathon

Tag Archives: race

Race Recap: Folsom International Triathlon

2013 SOAS Amateur Race Team

Race Reflections: Ironman 70.3 Vineman

What I Learned From My First Duathlon

Race Recap: Las Vegas Santa Suit 5K

Race Recap: NorCal Half Marathon

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