2012 Nautica South Beach Triathlon

JUST DON’T GIVE UP!

The Nautica South Beach triathlon was my 1st race for the 2012 season and I HAPPY to say I earned my Pro Card at it by placing 1st in the elite female field. Our wave started off very early at 6:50 a.m. The swim was a 1 mile ocean swim parallel to the shore line. We had to walk a mile from transition to the swim start. I learned a huge lesson here. I like many of the other triathletes in the first wave did not think they would send us off in the dark. The sun did not come up yet and it was bit of overcast so it was pretty dark. I remember thinking oh they will just post pone it but they did not and I (like many others in my wave) had shaded goggles. We were all swimming into each other during the warm up. I was thinking what am I going to do? This is not going to be good. I can’t see! I thought for sure the sun would rise by the start and that was not the case. The race director sent off the 1st wave of over 100 triathletes, all pro & elite men & women right at 6:50 a.m. I knew not being able to see was going to affect my swim and boy did it. Our HUGE wave of pro & elite men & women ran down the beach and dolphin dived through the waves and then started fiercely swimming towards the 1st buoy. I remember getting hit many times with arms and legs because this was such a large wave of very competitive athletes and no one was going to let another go without a fight. I thought oh my God, I hope I can make it through this mass of athletes and get to the front. The swim is my strongest leg of the three and I usually come out of the water in the top group even amongst the men but this was not the case in this race. I fought my way around the majority in our wave and settled into one group and by the time I passed what I thought was the second buoy, I did not know if it was with all the fighting going on to get around swimmers and the horrible visibility. I was upset I lost track of the number of buoys but I could barely see anything and my nerves were so high and the commotion at the swim start it was almost impossible to keep site on anything else but getting around others in the way. After swimming a bit with the group I settled in, I said to myself I’ve got to leave this group they are going too slow. I pulled out to go around them and look ahead and I couldn’t see anything. I was so disoriented and frustrated I had to make a decision as to swim blind on my own (shaded & foggy goggle when it’s still dark out) or just stay in this group and follow them and hope they swim the correct course. My visibility was so bad I chose to stay in the group I was in and just follow the leaders. I was so upset with myself for not thinking about brining clear / orange goggles that my nerves where increasing even more. I exited the ocean running up the beach to transition knowing I had a slow swim. I finished the 1 mile ocean swim in 24.24 which is a good 4 minutes slower than my normal time. I could see other females running out ahead of me and I was upset. I usually come out ahead of them. I told myself don’t give up, just keep going, you need to just keep going, you want to earn your pro card and you can do it just don’t give up. I ran all the way through the 3 blocks of bike racks all the way to the end of transition where the elite bike rack was shortly pass the Pro’s. I could see the women in front of me head to the Pro rack so I thought maybe I’m in the lead for the elite but I was not sure. I quickly ripped off my wetsuit, put on my helmet & glasses & grabbed my TT bike w/my shoes hanging clipped into the peddles. This was the first race I was going to put my shoes on while I was biking. I had practiced this many times on the days prior so I felt comfortable doing it. I’m happy I did. It went pretty smooth minus turning one shoe up so I could start with one foot on the top of my shoe. Once I got the shoe turned up I quickly pushed off with the other leg and mounted my TT bike both feet on top of my shoes and I started to hammer it down Ocean Drive. I quickly got both feet into my shoes and strapped in. I thought to myself now I’ve got to give it all I have. I have to HAMMER THIS HARD and make up for my slow swim. I felt GREAT out on the beginning bike minus my nervous stomach. I loved the new Profile Carbon wheels with tubulars that I was racing on THANKS to Gear Works Cyclery. They felt AWESOME & fast. I felt like I was flying (lol). I kept telling myself PUSH IT, stay aero, keep head looking forward, helmet point down, legs in close to top bar, stay calm and DON’T GIVE UP! The bike course was a 25 mile course that was out and back over 2 causeways. It was windy w/some elevation on the causeways but for the most part it was flat & FAST. I ended up catching up to about three elite men. The three of us kept going back and forth passing each other but making sure that none of us were drafting off the others. We were HAMMERING it and I knew I was doing much better than my swim. Shortly into the first 12 miles I had caught and passed 2 Pro women and this got me excited but I still did not know what place I was in. I told myself you are doing better, you are making up time, the Pro card is in reach & don’t give up. I was feeling good through most of the bike but my stomach was in knots from the HIGH VOLUME OF NERVES I had from everything riding on this race and then the having a slow swim. I kept pushing it and tried to eat and drink but when I did it started to come back up. My stomach was not having it. It could only manage the HIGH VOLUME OF NERVES I gave it so this is the beginning of the forthcoming of a slow run to come. I knew I had to eat and drink but I just couldn’t keep it down. This got me upset, I knew I would need fuel for the 6.2 mile run and if I didn’t take any in I would pay the price later. I think my nerves got even worse at this time and it was hopeless to keep anything down. I told myself just don’t give up and keep going. You can still do it. I finished the bike course in a time of 1.02:04 averaging 24 mph. I made the mistake of not recognizing how close I was to the dismount line and had to dismount my bike with my shoes on. I didn’t give myself enough time to get my feet out of my shoes before the line. I ran back through the 3 blocks of bike racks in bike shoes pushing my TT bike and dodging the swimmers entering transition from the classic distance swim. It was chaotic and the blue plastic carpet they laid down was very slippery & wet. This combined with my bike shoes made it hard to go quick. I tried to take the line off the carpet by the carpet’s edge when I could but some of the run to the elite bike rack spot I had to run on that supper slippery blue plastic carpet. I managed to avoid falling down and got to my bike rack the best I could. I quickly racked my bike, took off my helmet, took off my bike shoes, put on my run shoes & grabbed my number belt and ran out of transition and onto the run course. The run course was an out and back 6.2 mile run along the beach with the majority out and back on a wooden board walk. It was so BEAUTIFUL but this is South Beach so there were a lot of tourists out and on our run course not really knowing they shouldn’t be there during a race (lol). It was a race but at times going around so many tourists it made it feel kind of like a typical training day going around others. This was a bit awkward but it didn’t mess me up. I started the run feeling pretty good but I was worried because I knew I didn’t take enough fuel in on the bike. I was running a strong steady pace when I passed a spectator who yelled to me “GREAT job, you are the 6th female”! I was happy when I heard this and I picked up the pace a bit. I went through the first and second water stops taking water at each of them and drinking it but my stomach still did not want to hold anything else down. I could begin to feel the lack of fuel and I was struggling. I told myself don’t give up. You are in 6th place you can do this keep going. I knew at this point I was bonking and it was really hurting. Every stride I was taking was a TOUGH effort. I had to slow my pace in order to keep going and sure enough one of the Pro’s I passed out on the bike passed me. I told myself just keep going, the pro card is still in reach, don’t give up. Right before the turn around point I got passed again by another pro female. It hurts a lot to get passed out on the run and you know you are not running at your best. I knew I was almost done and I knew in order to finish the last 3.1 miles I’d just have to run a steady pace, a pace that I could do just to get to the finish line. I rounded the turnaround point and headed back to the finish keeping a steady pace. I took water at all of the water stops and tried to stay as positive as I could but I was so upset at myself for making the mistakes I did in this race. I told myself again and again just don’t give up. You can do it. You have trained so HARD for this. I approached the last water stop and knew I was within a mile to the finish. Every part of my body wanted me to stop. It had no fuel and it was SCREAMING at me with every stride I took. I knew I could make it though one more mile. I told myself anyone can push through a mile. I kept pushing through the pain and then I could see that BEAUTIFUL finish line. I could hear the announcer & music. I picked up the pace a bit and crossed the finish line. I was so TIRED and completely BONKED but I finished. My time for the 6.2 mile run was 47.25 and I averaged 7.39 minute miles. This was a bit slow for me but despite making some costly mistakes, I DIDN’T GIVE UP and it was enough of an effort to win the female elite division and earn my pro card. It was a BEAUTIFUL race and another HUGE learning experience.