Litchfield Hills Olympic Tri Race Report

Litchfield Hills is an Olympic distance triathlon put on by the Hartford Marathon Foundation.

I picked this race to be a mid-point in my training for Pumpkinman 70.3, and didn't spend any time analyzing the course maps, looking into elevation, or the field of racers from previous years. In fact, I only looked into anything on the day I received my final race instructions in my email, and the day before the race for directions. The only "prep" I did was kinesiotaping my right knee the night before and packing my gear.

I remember seeing a comment in the email about a "screaming hill" out of transition, and a 2 mile climb at the end of the bike into transition, and rolling hills in between. No big deal. It also mentioned bringing shoes to wear for the quarter mile trek from the swim to transition on a rocky path. I ignored it, because how would you find your shoes getting out of the water?!

I picked up my bib the day before, but I still wanted to leave early to have plenty of time. I hate feeling rushed, or getting a bad spot on a rack, so we left at 5am. We got there slightly after 6, and as we approached the park, drove up some killer hills. "Holy crap, I hope these aren't the ones I have to climb," I jinxed myself.

After body marking, I headed into transition to set up.

Gear all set up!

I met a woman who has done the race a few times. I told her it was my first Olympic and I was really nervous. She told me, "Well, you picked a really challenging course!" Wait.... what?? At this point I still had thought I just had that last 2 miles of hills, but now I was getting even more nervous. After setting up, Kevin and I went to the beach to check out the swim. The buoys looked so far away, and I figured it would take me forever.

Pre-race!

Another racer recommended shoes for after the swim, so I decided to use my flip flops. After wiggling into my wetsuit, and heading down to the beach, I got ready to start. It was a relatively small race (only 218 finishers), but everyone looked so serious! Not the usual fun sprint races I'm used to! I was in the 2nd wave, which was all women, including Athenas.

Swim start, 2nd wave

Off we went! I swam smooth & strong, no panicking, little contact with other swimmers. Only problem was the congestion near the turning buoys. The water was fairly clear, I could see feet in front of me, swimmers to the side, and had no trouble sighting. I couldn't believe how good I was feeling throughout. I got to shore to hear a man with a megaphone shout "33 minutes!" 

exiting the water

Official Swim time: 33:03

.9 miles

Overall : 171/218

I saw Kevin and I got my flip flops, and started the .25 mile trek to transistion. I didn't want to hurt myself tripping or spend energy running up the hill to transition, so I walked briskly with Kevin, then jogged once I got to the top of the hill. I sat down to get on my bike shoes, get the helmet, sunglasses, eat part of a LARABAR, and get ready for the bike.

T1 time: 7:02

I headed out on the bike, feeling good about my swim time. My Garmin behaved and started perfectly, and off I went!

exiting transition to the bike

The course started with a nice downhill, then a few rolling hills. I thought to myself, "I can totally take this course, no big deal!" Then came more down hills. I was flying! Some of my splits were faster than I had ever seen.. 

I actually topped of at 43.2mph! I had to hit the brakes on some of hills because they were so steep & I was so nervous! The first 15 miles were amazing, and I was calculating how quickly I could finish. I only had the last 2 miles of hills right? I think my Garmin lost some reception earlier (maybe around 15), and had me about 2 miles off the course, but I had no idea. When the hills hit, I was unprepared. They were frequent and big. There were little or no downhills following. The last 5 miles were a steady incline up. I actually had to get off my bike 3 times and walk up the hills, because my legs just wouldn't  go anymore.

I hit the top of a big hill where some volunteers were. I was walking. A race photographer tried to take my picture. I yelled, "Can you at least wait until I get on my bike??!!" A volunteer told me I had a downhill, another uphill, and the finish was less than .1 miles away. I realized my Garmin was off, and celebrated in my head. I was dying of thirst, I had run out of water about a mile or so ago.

Kevin was waiting for me a little bit down the road. I was so happy to see him! I told him my legs were toast. I told him that I just rode/walked up all those awful roads we drove up earlier and wanted to die.

coming up to Kevin

yikes, I'm tired!

When I saw the volunteer with the "Dismount Here" sign, I told him I loved him, and was so happy to see that sign. Getting of my bike was fabulous. My back was killing me from struggling up the hills, and my legs were done.

Official Bike Time: 1:52:12

24.8 miles

Overall : 214/218

Kevin met me by my transition area. I almost started to cry. I told him my legs were done, I couldn't do it. He told me to put on my sneakers and go. So I did.

T2 Time: 2:09

Race belt, visor, sneakers, out. There was no volunteer telling me where to go, In fact it seemed like all the other athletes were already finished, and on the course for the run! Luckily there were spray painted arrows on the ground telling me where to go. A few runners wished me luck as I headed out on the run.  6.2 miles, and I had no idea how I would make it. 

I decided to make it a run a little, walk a little. First I started going by minutes, then switched to walking up hills. They weren't nearly as huge as the bike, but there were still plenty.

I got passed by one woman, but soon had another one in my sights. I got closer, and closer, but told myself not to focus on passing her, but just feeling strong throughout. Soon, I caught up to her. "Do you think they'll still have beer for us at the finish?" I asked her. She told me she just wanted to jump in the lake. I focused on the beer, and a soft serve ice cream cone we could stop for on the drive home.

I walked up most of the hills, and when I had to. I felt like I had nothing left, but was running on determination alone, because seriously my legs were done. Finally I saw the 6 mile marker, not long now! I picked up the pace and sprinted to the chute...

Official Run Time: 1:21:35

6.2 miles

Overall : 213/218

I was so happy to be done, I couldn't believe I finished! I almost cried, and Kevin took my picture.

Official Time: 3:55:59

Overall Place: 214/218

Athena Division: 7/8

Things were winding down. I knew there weren't many people behind me, and saw many racers driving away in their cars while I was still running. We packed up my gear, and Kevin took it to the car while I got food and beer. I told the beer girl it was the only thing I though of for the last 3 miles of the race. After some 10 Penny Ale, a veggie grinder, and some apple pie, Kevin came back. He got some food & I got another beer. The race volunteers gave us a HUGE 3 foot grinder to take home because they had so much extra, score!

Kevin had the car parked closer, and we drove home. Then Kevin asked... 

"Wait, how's your knee?"

Could you believe it felt amazing all day? Not an ounce of pain whatsoever.

My kinesiotaping magic: Patella mechanical correction for lateral tracking patella, 2 subpatella straps, and inhibition of my IT band. Perfect.

Pros:

Great finishing food

Awesome race medal

Clean lake swim

Nice Tech shirt

Cons:

HILLS HILLS HILLS

Overall a Tough Course

The disappearing volunteers

Athletes standing/eating on the run course who had already finished 

The super fast racers made me feel like such a slacker

Probably not a race I'll do again, but I did learn a few things...

1. Be prepared & KNOW the course details on elevation. 

2. Pay attention to info in emails and advice from other racers.

3. Get the training miles in... (I got some great workouts in at the cape, but slacked after that)

4. Pick a race with less hills.

5. Practice more hills.

6. Freeze the waterbottles the night before (I did this, and it worked GREAT!)

7. ALWAYS have Kevin there to push me on (He's a great motivator)

I took a rest day today, but tomorrow is Officially Day 1 of Pumpkinman 70.3 training!

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Third Person

For the month of April, I've committed to 30 days of posting!

Join me, and go HERE for more info.

Day 25

Third Person Post

Write about a memory you have, but describe it using the third person. Use as many sensory images (sights, sounds, textures, etc) as you can. Don't use I or me unless you include dialogue.

They sped down the highway toward Farmington Connecticut on a warm, late summer, sunday morning. The bike was stacked and tied down with springy zip ties on the back of the car, and inside was a carefully packed bag with all her race day essentials, including bib numbers, timing chip, and swim cap. It was slightly cool and she dressed wearing her Tri shorts, a T-shirt, and a sweatshirt to keep the chill away.

The anxiety was building on the 45 minute drive. Would she get there on time? Would she survive the swim, almost double the distance she was used to? After panic stricken words with her patient boyfriend and a few wrong turns later, they drove into Winding Lake. 

The transition area was a sea of all different kinds of women. Some there for their first triathlon, some seasoned vets. After finding a very tight spot to tuck into, she carefully laid her gear out. Her pink striped towel was the foundation, layered with her purple asics gt 2160 running shoes, her pink bib holder, and a pink handheld water bottle in back. In front was the cycling shoes, with her pink pearl izumi socks draped carefully sticking out. Extra glide, and fuel filled in the empty spaces.

 Rushing to get everything in place, she rushed into her wetsuit after a quick spray down of Pam. The pam made the struggle of the wetsuit only slightly easier. The black neoprene was tight, and required major effort to be pulled into the right place. Next was the swim cap, and goggles poised on the forehead, ready to be put into place.

Standing with her boyfriend on the beach, she stared out at the buoys. He gave her the encouragement she needed to get in the water. Soon she would be on her way to finishing her last triathlon of the season....

In case you're curious.

This is a description of my pre-race to the Women's Tri in Farmington, CT (a GREAT race by the way). If you're interested in reading more about my race day, check out my race report HERE!

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10 Things...

For the month of April, I've committed to 30 days of posting!

Join me, and go HERE for more info.

Day 13

10 Things I couldn't live without

Write a list of the 10 things you need (love) the most.

1. Relaxing vacation days on a sunny beach.

2. Fun days with my man

3. Race days. Running & Triathlon. Which typically includes family & friends.

4. Red Wine. Preferably a Pinot Noir.

5. My favorite running gear....

a. Asics GT-2160

b. Running Skirts

c. CEP compression socks

d. Honey Stinger waffles & chews

e. Nuun

f. KT tape

g. my garmin (currently a 410)

6. My bike. A pretty little Specialized Dolce Elite

7. Travels to new & exciting places!

8. Trips to Boston Beer Works & Fenway Park

9. A great training schedule. Typically a mix I blend of online plans.

10. A wall full of Bling!

What do you love/need?

Winner of the Raw Threads giveaway is Billie Jean!

email me at sgrigely at hotmail dot com to claim your prize!

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What's up next?

Don't worry, I promise I'll get to part 3 of the recap soon...

Thanks so much for all your support/encouragement on my race day report from Disney. It definitely was a difficult day, and part of what got me moving in the morning and moving throughout the race was you. Knowing that I had to report to all my readers if I chickened out or gave up is part of what gave me the strength to go on.

So Thank You.

What do I have my eyes set on next?

The Rock N Roll DC Half Marathon is less than 9 weeks away on St. Pattys Day.

But really, the thing most on my mind is Triathlon.

In fact, I've been debating a 70.3.

If not this year, then next. It seems like there are a million to choose from.

I think one near the end of summer/ fall would be good.

I'm looking for recommendations/advice.
(Just an additional sidenote, since a few of you may be new to following. I've done sprint distance triathlons the past 2 years, but now I feel ready for more. Originally my goal was just Olympic, but now I'm really tempted by 70.3)

Do you think I'm ready for this?

Any recommendations or ideas?

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Final round of questions

A while back, I wanted you to ask me some questions. Here's the last chunk of answers!!

Aimee @ Amazing in Motion asked...

I know that you generally do your long runs with a friend, but if you are running alone what do you do on a long run to maintain motivation & interest?

Lucky for me, theres been very few long runs I've had to do on my own. Sometimes I bring music or just think to myself and enjoy the scenery (or whine to myself at how miserable I am). Once I split a run into 2 loops where I was able to stop inside to get more water and take a quick break in the air conditioning & that worked really well too. If I'm at the gym, I find something good to watch on TV.

Cupcake @ Bigger Girls Run Too asked...

Would you ever consider doing a Tri, why or why not?

I have done a few Tris, and I LOVE them! I love riding, I love the transition of activities, and the excitement that there is surrounding the sport of triathlon. You can read my race reports here: 

CT Women's Triathlon

Scantic Valley YMCA Triathlon

Sheriff Sprint Triathlon

Webster Danskin Triathlon

From my last Triathlon on 9/11/11

If you could race with a famous athlete, who would you choose and why?

I would choose Team Hoyt. To me, they are the icon of inspiration. When I read 17 hours to Glory, I had heard of the father/son duo before, but was awed when I read their chapter in the book. I would love to race with them, because to me it shows that no matter your ability/disability, great things are all within our reach.

Team Hoyt

What is your favorite way to spend your downtime?

Relaxing on a beach in the summer, or in the fall on my couch with a delicious pumpkin beer and a long list of DVRd shows. Some of my favorites are Gossip Girl, Grey's Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, America's Next Top Model, and a couple news ones like Up all Night, The New Girl & Whitney.

Thanks for listening & enjoy your weekend!

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CT Women's Triathlon Race Report!

Pre-Race

You might remembered that I questioned even doing this race. I had registered over a month ago, knowing that last year the race sold out. When I hit the button to send my money to the Hartford Marathon Foundation and register myself as an Athena for race day, I made a promise to myself that I would swim more, and bike more. I was already doing plenty of running. Unfortunately my motivation to swim faded and soon I was skipping every monday scheduled swim. In fact, I only got 2 pool swims in between my last triathlon (Wilbraham YMCA) and this race. Major fail. I also didn't get out much to ride. Busy weekends made me skip my saturday long rides, and weekdays I always had something else to do after work.

Needless to say, I was skeptical about my performance if I participated in the race. Then I thought about how I had paid $95 for the race, and that it was sold out. I talked myself into it on friday, not too last minute, right?

Saturday afternoon, my mom headed with me to packet pick up in Farmington, CT. My mom has just caught the workout bug, in fact she is now training to walk the Disney Half Marathon!! Bringing my mom to packet pickup was a great idea, because not only did I get a fabulous tech tee & bag included with my race fee, but my mom splurged on an amazing bike jersey and car magnet for me, thanks mom!

After packet pick up, I took my mom to Fleet Feet to get fitted for running/walking shoes. She is going to try a run(slooow jog)/walk method & is following Jeff Galloway's plan that is specific for the Disney Half. She was surprised to learn she should have been wearing a sneaker a whole size bigger because of how her foot expands in standing. She loves her New Balance shoes she finally settled on!

Home to lay things out, then go out for a few hours to a wild pig roast party. I sadly had to skip the ice luge, flip cup, and kegs of BBC to be in top shape for the morning. We ended the night early and made it home around 9:30.

Race Day

After getting myself ready, eating my usual breakfast, applying my Tri-Tats (pretty cool) & getting my gear together, I managed to pry Kevin out of bed with promises of Dunkin Donuts, and a nap after the race. We got to the race site, which was at beautiful Winding Trails in Farmington, CT.

Tri Tats!

finished product!

We got there at what I thought was a good time, however almost every single spot on my rack was taken. I ended up far back in a different kind of rack than I'm used to, which was holding my bike poorly, and let it keep toppling over. I quickly started putting my things out and chatted with a few girls near me that were first timers. I was in the last wave, which was Athenas and first timers. As I was laying out my things, a man starting shouting, transition will close in 10 minutes. 10 minutes??!! I still had to pee & get a wetsuit on! I finished laying out my stuff, sprayed myself with Pam (first time trying that trick), and started to wiggle into my wetsuit. I met up with Kevin and we headed to the beach.

The Swim

They did a thoughtful September 11 ceremony before the race start, complete with a bag piper, and soon the swim was starting. It looked forever long, and I was starting to get butterflies. The longest race swim I have ever done is 1/4 mile, and this year only 300 yards, so I was in panic mode. I tried to breathe, remind myself that swimming is my strongest sport, and that I would just go nice and easy to be ready for the rest of the race.

look at that long swim! left to right, orange buoys on the right.

getting ready for my wave!

I started out on the inside, which I thought was a great place, but not many others had the same idea as me. This made my path somewhat clear for most of the race. The pond was a little clearish, so I was able to see feet in front of me, and move rather than get kicked in the face. I swam strong & effortlessly, and I couldn't believe how fast the distance was shrinking. My sighting was pretty much spot on, my form felt smooth, and my breathing easy. By far, the easiest time I have had on a swim in any triathlon. I'm sure I could have pushed a little harder & gone faster, but I wanted to be sure I had the energy for the whole 1/2 mile.

exiting the swim

1/2 mile swim = 19:21

140/492 finishers

The Bike

It was a long jog to transition, and I was able to get my swim cap & half my wetsuit off on the way. I threw on my sleeveless bike jersey (seriously a great wardrobe decision), my socks, bike shoes & helmet. I took a swig of Nuun & ate a honey stinger chew. Leaving transition, a volunteer yelled that my goggles were stuck on my bike pedal. I quickly threw them off to the side, good excuse for a new pair.

I took off on the bike. The course was fairly flat with a couple hills up, and a few sweet downhills too. I started behind an Athena and was focused on keeping up with her, but I lost her after the first turn. Not to worry, I was passing people left & right. This race was a BIG race and compared to the little triathlons I did this year it was nice to pass some people instead of getting passed all the time.

elevation of the bike course

Around mile 7-8, a woman in the 50 year old age group and I kept passing each other. We chatted a little bit, and eventually I overtook her on a straight away and downhill. The last mile, an Athena came up and passed me, I pushed it to keep up with & we rode neck & neck into transition. I felt strong the entire bike leg and was seeing speeds on my Garmin that I have never seen on a ride. I averaged 16.5mph & hit a top speed of 28.8mph. I am pretty convinced I had my best ride ever.

T1 = 1:52

12 mile bike = 43:46

206/492 finishers

The Run

Heading to transition was a little crowded as people were heading out for the run, which was the same as the bike entrance. Some people were not hustling their bikes to the racks, which slowed me down. Finally I slipped off my shoes and got my running shoes on, race belt on, more Nuun down my throat & grabbed my Garmin off the bike. My stupid Garmin hates sweat however, and was being a Pain in the Ass, and refused to reset for the run. In fact, I didn't get it started until almost a 1/4 mile into the run, which was a steep uphill, up a rocky path.

Did I somehow forget that this was a trail run? I completely missed that memo, in fact the only time I have ever run on a trail, was the time Shelley & I got lost in Forest Park on our long run (HERE). The trail run was through a nice wooded trail, with mud, sticks, tree roots, and rocks to avoid. This slowed my pace significantly at time, and others sped it up. My pace was all over the place, but I  stopped for one slight break for a little gatorade at the water stop, and only 1 or 2 other places for a quick walk break.

run paces

I got passed by several people on the run, but I did manage to pass others too. I even passed one Athena, which I was pumped about. My Garmin's late start, led me to be uncertain about my current distance, so I had no idea how much gas I had to keep in the tank before going all out. I was a little conservative near the end. Then, a little boy yelled, over this hill then you'll see the finish line. Since my Garmin said maybe 2.6 miles,  didn't believe him, but there it was. I took off, going as hard as I could, making sure to pass one last person on my way to the finishing chute.

I smoked her, she's not even close to me!

T2 = 2:03

3.1 mile run = 34:45

332/492 finishers

I saw Kevin just as I was finishing ( missed him at every transition in the race), and he met me at the end of the chute. I gave up my timer chip, and got some water a handmade "finisher" magnet with cute little fish, sneakers & a bicycle on it. We promptly headed over to the beer tent for the 10 penny ale, which was fabulous. I wasn't hungry at all, but I grabbed a caesar salad wrap for Kevin and a banana for me. They had a few booths set up with different companies, and Kevin bought me a couple nice things (more on them later). We decided to head to transition, get my gear into the car, then go back to the finishing area for more beer & hopefully the results. Bad news? Beer was kicked, and results were only available that night online.

finisher "medal"

after the finish!

Final Results

1:41:44

17/59 Athena

222/492

After waiting in traffic to exit the park, we headed home for some Bertuccis brick oven pizza and water. I felt sick the rest of the day after a 2 hour nap, but thankfully am much better now. 

The good of the race?

Well organized

LOTS of signage

small swim waves

flat bike course

AWESOME dri-fit shirt swag

The bad of the race?

My horrible bike rack which didn't hold my bike well

LOTS of first timers who didn't follow bike rules on the road

a rocky, muddy trail run (bad because of the flooding we've had lately)

Beer finished early

This race re-lit my triathlon fire! I felt strong and competitive throughout the whole race. I couldn't wait to get back to training and thinking about all the races of next year. I'm so excited to do this race next year, and convince some friends next time to do it with me. Anyone else in?

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