Mine over Matter

Second in the element racing off road triathlon series.... and is called MINE over Matter, not MIND. Actually only realised it yesterday after the race.
The mine comes from it held in a piece of land which once served the purpose of being a quarry for limestone- which is adjacent to the Kelso conservation area in Milton...which is far from home. So we hoteled it the night prior. Worth it, vs camping in a thunderstorm the night before a race.

Swim
1k- 22:31, 2:16 100 metre split.
Basically why do I bother swimming? I suck. Even when I think I am making progress i am still horrible.

Bike
17k-1:10, 14.5km/h*

*This result isn't actually what I rode.

Bike started out fine, got going really fast, for me, and hit a rut and fell into long grass. Pride was hurt and my chain came off, but that's not what I'm talking about.
Another rider fell in front of me,  an obvious deformity of the wrist occurring.  Went for help, stayed with her until trained personal arrived. At the same time was lapped by the winner. At that point was only a few kilometres actually into the course. Felt like pooh. Course was very doable from my perspective. Walked up the ski hill and another point where my tires were just slipping. Felt very dusty. Tried reasonably hard. Still kinda suck.

Run
8.5k- 43:16, 5:06ks
Finally something I am good at! Although at this point, it is blazing hot....and people are already coming into the finish line. That makes one feel really good about their performance up to this point.
Anyways my goal was to pass at five people on the run. Starts on double track up 1.5ish then glorious  single track for 3-4k. My impression of the trail is it is very well used. wide, non technical single. Then a out and back and down the hill back to the race site..which is where I thought the race ended. I knew we had only gone 5ish kilometres but I figured then the race was short, and not as long as limberlost. I was wrong, had to run around the lake. I was having a good run and actually didn't mind. Spent about 10seconds to long dumping water on myself at the aid station. The volunteers pointed out for me where the next woman was and I said it would be tough but I thought I could catch her.. and they laughed and said no way. I left and tried to prove them wrong. I was running 4:45ks and caught another guy and the gap i was making on the woman was narrowing but not as fast as I would have liked. I was going faster and faster but kinda resolved I wasn't going to make it but I was still gaining on her. In the finishing shoot I caught her but she pulled ahead very so slightly to beat me by one second.  Luke said he could see the entire lake run and had tremendous fun watching me make gains.

Over all I had fun. would be nicer to be a faster biker and swimmer, and I think my key to doing so  is to develop upper body strength. As in I have none. I need to work on that, and perhaps I will see some improvement. Really what do I have to lose?

The race is nice. The run could use a bit more single track and it quite flat. Very fast. Bike was very rideable except for one technical section and the ski hill. Luke liked the venue. Felt part of the race. Easy accessible. At Limberlost he felt transition cut off the spectators.
 Personally, I liked Limberlost better. It was harder and I was sure the race course on the bike would kill me. My arms were sore afterwards not from the swim but from pushing the bike up the hills. The food was great at both but Limberlosts meal also inculded salads and watermelon.  Even though it rainned, the expereince of camping on a race site was so much fun. I will be definitly doing both next year. Thanks Element racing!!!!

Things I know now that I wish I knew then

That chafing, quite similar to diaper rash really really hurts. No wonder babies cry.

Life

 Gets you down sometimes... especially when you work six nights in eight days. Perhaps when I was younger this wouldn't have been a problem, but I am holding up the age card and not coping.

Rather pathetic athletic activity going on, Really have not had time. Not motivated, my bike seat hurts my lady bits, my mtn bike is out to kill me. Slightly concerned people will think I have read 50 shades of gray and am enjoying a new lifestyle with all the bruises I have from it. 

And boys and girls is a pity party. I am good at them.

The Race that Wasn't

I really really wanted to do The Bruce Peninsula Multisport Race, problem is it is a staged multi sport race with one of the sports being kayaking. I don't own a kayak, nor do I know how. I am kinda afraid of big water soo I had a bit of a problem. Initially I asked Luke, he laughed. I asked somebody else they said no so I had to go begging and pleading and promising that if we did this race together as a team our day would not end in divorce.
 After much contemplation on team names, including:

-Must beat Jackie and Kris ( friends who also did the race)

-Chocolate and Chips

-Disqualified for Doping

-Did not finish

We settled on Beauty and the Beast. Luke's the Beauty cause he is nicer than I.

We signed up for the short course, which is comprised of a 4k paddle from Wiarton to Colpys Bay. A 15k MTN around Colpys bay, then a 5.5k run via the Bruce Trail back into Wiarton. As I am a simplistic runner who will drink out of streams rather than be burdened by carrying water I was slightly overwhelmed with the gear list and the logistics of it all. But honestly it wasn't that much, and I the only item I had to buy was a dry bag, which really a ziplock would have covered.

 

The race is bit of a logistical challenge being that transition isn't at the start, and large items like kayaks and MTn bikes need to be transported. I must say the check in process was really simple, sure there are ten steps and you end up hauling all your gear into the arena but all in all not to bad. As I have done soo many races race check in isn't intimidating and I am aware of the process... however Luke is not. I try to do everything as quick and and efficient as possible to expedite the process... Luke not so much.

The race kit. Not shown are all the stickers we affixed to everything with our bib numbers. Bit of a security thing. Your gear was not released back to you without showing your bib. Also not shown are socks. The volunteer apparently thought Luke and I didn't need any.

We rented a tandem kayak,  but apparently, the particular one we rented has no glide and in the future we will rent one with a rutter.  So after struggling with spray skirts- that we really didn't know how to use ( We learn later that we didn't have to use them just have them with us in case) and paddle out to the start line we were off!

So this is the first time we had paddled together more than in the Paisley millpond for 10minites, obviously an adjustment period is in order..... preferably not in a race situation. There may have been some minor yelling and accusations that it was all my fault the kayak kept on going left. Some calming reminders of the fact this was in fact the only time we had paddled together so perhaps it was just going to be what it was going be. I should point out the the non-competitive one was rather frustrated about how much further ahead other teams had gotten. Towards the end of the paddle our speed definitely picked up with the rubbling of thunder in the distance. The somewhat blue sky became quite dark, but we were ok with rain as we like tough conditions. Not sure of our time as it has not been posted yet. I meant to start my watch but as it was to be a fun day I forgot.

 

We ran into transition and immittly are told there will be a 20min wait for the lightening. The hope was that a thunder/ lightening storm would blow over. 20 minutes became 40 and the rain was failing hard. Thankfully, the owner of a shed opened it up to us huddled against a building trying to stay dry/ warm. The storm wasn't going anywhere, practically everybody had a phone and was watching the radar. I was busy hoping that they would send us off time trail style and not as a mass start- cause trail races with mass starts don't work well......then well the race was cancelled. The storm just wasn't moving and that was the end.

I am disappointed the race didn't wait, but I understand logistically a race that is run with volunteers, and insurance policies that very specific in race conditions just could not continue. In the end Luke and I did get a MTN bike ride later in the day, and in the end that's I was looking for. Some time to spend with Luke doing something we both love.

Next year we will be back.

Muskoka Grind

You know what isn't the best pre- race?? Sleeping in a tent during thunderstorms. Everybody can thank us for the recent rain as we made the choice to camp. I am not superstitious but I am convinced that us in a tent=rain.

To back up a bit we traveled Saturday up to Muskoka- officially known as the longest drive ever. We encountered projectile vomiting, a parade, x3 construction delays, and a 15min wait at Weber's burgers. Thus a three hour drive became five.

The race was being held at Limberlost reserve- which is quite beautiful. As most local hotels were requiring a two night minimum  we opted to donate $40 to the reserve and camp on the race site. This in its self was fun. Got to check out transition the night before and met some other racers  and commiserated to each other on our overall lack of fitness and Mtn biking skills. The kids met up other other kids which give Luke and I a chance to pre-ride the course. Mentally I gave me a boost to know that I could handle it, but overwhelming know the next day I was to ride it at race pace, twice. I should mention I have no race pace. I also appreciated seeing some other females doing the full who were not women I knew had competed at the Xterra worlds.

It didn't matter that we stayed on site, I was still scrambling to be ready in the morning. Mostly I was consumed with trying to find coffee, and deciding if I should wear a camel back, and getting the all important bathroom visit out of the way. Basically I had to run to the swim start.  As well the most supportive partner in the world is Luke, except in the mornings. Which does not make for a happy morning.

 

Swim- 1k.

The picture of me coming out of the water with nobody behind me kinda speaks for itself. Doesn't help that the last time I swam 1k was in May prior to hurting my shoulder. But whatever, I swam the best I could. Sighting better would have helped.

I also passed about four women in transition so time differential wasn't too bad.

The Bike- 16.64

Basically, I think this was a course that favored a MTN biker. I think alot of the competitors were hard core mTN bikers- well at least in my eyes, and there I was in my entry level hard tail.Thankfully I was ok by that. I found it interesting that one hard corer was complaining about a minor muddy section. I didn't realise that MTN bikers didn't like mud as it mucked up the components on the bike. I laughed to his face about the absolute stupidity to his comment. The course was two laps with  two long uphill sections that I basically had to walk... and I had to walk other sections as well. It would have helped if my front de-railer would have allowed me to dip into my granny gear.  I thought it was reasonably technical but again the hard corers didn't.

I was quite slow, as in out of 40 people completing the course I was 37th OA. On my last lap I was all alone out there and just assumed that the few people that were behind me had dropped out, so I told all the volunteers on course I was the last one out there.

While I was biking I think I set new heart rate records. Felt like I was at my max heart rate for most of the race, and definitely could not catch my breath.

Run- 8.64

The only competitive goal I had for this race was to be in the top five of woman racers for the run. I was fourth. I came off the bike in like I said last or close to last position. I managed to run down I think five people. Including a women in my age group two seconds before the finish line. Which meant 3rd in my age group. Sure there were only five, but who cares,  I got a metal in a off road triathlon!!!

Prediction

On Sunday I am doing the Muskoka Grind. An off road triathlon.
Since we are going all that way, I am doing the long coarse. I am wondering about cut off times. Slightly nervous.

Swim- 1k-  Due to lack of swimming r/t shoulder- 25min
Bike- Mtn 16.64- Insider information says it is a hard course. So if I throw caution to the wind and ride hard and don't brake on any downhill i say 1:45
Run Trail- 8.64- If I am having a good day 45min.

So add it all up and I am looking at around 2:55.  I think actually that may be an overly optimistic time actually as I am not accounting for  transitions. Soo anything under.. actually finishing and I will be happy. There has been a seriously lack of training in this blasted inferno of a summer.