I've raced for a lot of years, countless triathlons, big and small….long ones and short ones. Races with great results big and small….. world championship events …. local races and complete fails. Plenty of experience to toe the line, and wait for the gun to go off and race. Plenty of experience to deal with the good and the bad before during and after a race. I don't get too nervous anymore, not much phases me these days. But I do still love and get excited to race, and see how fast I can go whether it's a small local race or a big giant marathon, or a crazy huge gravel road race, making it to another starting line is always a fun adventure.
I've had some fun racing this spring. Jack is in 2 sports; track and rugby.
It keeps me racing through the day to fit it all in. My job at work fixing people is slammed. My schedule is packed every day. Sometimes it feels like a race to get out the door at the exact time so I can walk in exactly on time and starting treating patients and not fall behind. Yes sometimes my heart rate is even elevated walking in. It all doesn't leave tons of time to mega train, or prepare bikes and gear etc to perfection for race day , but I fit in what I can and am grateful to still be able to step up to the starting line and race.
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| Jack has found out racing is fun/ 7th grade track |
RACING TOP 10s: its simple….
1. don't t try anything new race day
2. prepare your gear
3. have a nutrition plan
4. follow a your race plan
5. don't start to fast
6. do a proper warm up
7. do a proper cool down
8. go fast
9. have fun
10. celebrate your finish
I was pretty good at doing all 10 for many years when I was racing big. It may have drained racing the finer parts of racing out of me as I am best at numbers 9-10 currently, even though I still try to go fast. Im pretty sure after 20 + years of racing lately I've neglected numbers 1-8 as I've stepped up to the starting line.
April Racing, thank goodness for experience:
At our local 5k 5 min from my house I warmed up, not enough and got wet in the rain and froze waiting for the start, then didn't take off my layers and ran in too many clothes and felt horrible on a miserable day. When this happens best you can do is push and use it. Its still a strong effort and will still add to your overall fitness. It will still help you get faster. This was a fun race because so many of my pound4pound gym members were racing.
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| Pound4Pound, love my local gym |
The best part of my April racing was Barry-Roubaix. A gravel cycling road race. 80-90% gravel roads in Michigan with over 3000 others.
I decided about 3 weeks out it would work into my schedule, and decided to give it a try. I only did the 36 because Im chronically short on time and have't ridden much over 2 hours anyway. But this was such dirty hard fun racing! The gravel was loose dry sandy slick gravel causing you to fish tail down hill and slide out climbing. There were a few crazy technical sections which were my favorite thanks to my love of Cyclocross. I failed on the road sections especially going downhill as my CX bike only has a 1x and I ran out of gears and had to coast as everyone hammered by. All I could do is fuel and recover. I didn't take or have the time to even study the course, um I didn't have any idea it was so hilly, or even get my bike set up right, but who cares it was the most fun I've had in forever racing. I was surprised to find myself up on the podium up against some fast cyclists. And this post race celebration was top shelf.
I decided about 3 weeks out it would work into my schedule, and decided to give it a try. I only did the 36 because Im chronically short on time and have't ridden much over 2 hours anyway. But this was such dirty hard fun racing! The gravel was loose dry sandy slick gravel causing you to fish tail down hill and slide out climbing. There were a few crazy technical sections which were my favorite thanks to my love of Cyclocross. I failed on the road sections especially going downhill as my CX bike only has a 1x and I ran out of gears and had to coast as everyone hammered by. All I could do is fuel and recover. I didn't take or have the time to even study the course, um I didn't have any idea it was so hilly, or even get my bike set up right, but who cares it was the most fun I've had in forever racing. I was surprised to find myself up on the podium up against some fast cyclists. And this post race celebration was top shelf.
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| Fun post race party |
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| The mens open. such a cool shot that shows all the fun |
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| celebrating another finish line |
Finally the race I had actually on my Trainingpeaks schedule that Jenny had really been writing great workouts for me was the Naperville Womens Half Marathon. A new event with a fabulous course. I had put in some great workouts, and was targeting this race. Signing up early months prior to get a discount is great but then there is a rugby tournament that falls on the same Sunday. So I switch to plan B and still raced, but a 5k.. again, making it goal to just beat my time from 2 weeks prior. There will be more half marathons this year. This was such a fun race finishing on the track at North Central College. I didn't feel speedy, but had so much fun pushing it and still getting to race. Then I raced off to rugby and got to see Jack play and score against the current U14 stage champs.
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| made it |
