Bellingham Bay Review...Finally!

Ok, ok. Yes I have been totally MIA and am long overdue for a write up about my half marathon in Bellingham, WA. My race countdown ticker says it was 27 days ago. Oops! Thanks Dan for the constant hounding and poking me so much that the guilt was starting to hurt. I guess without a triathlon goal set up and a couple other life transitions, exercising (and writing) slipped lower on the list.

Bellingham Bay was my second half marathon, the last being the BMO Vancouver
Half back in early May. The goal for anyone’s first half marathon, or race for that matter, should be to just finish. So, ok, I did that. I finished with a time of 2:16:43, which is a roughly a 10.5 min mile.

While finishing was (and is) a great accomplishment, it was shadowed by the fact that starting right around the time I passed the half way mark, I was sick. A key rule that people tell you about nutrition on race day is that you should never introduce anything new to the system. I followed this rule up until about mile 6 when accidentally I shocked my system with a Chocolate GU. I hate chocolate. Ew. I am sure I threw up about 15 times starting at the half way mark up until about 100 yards from the finish line. I finished and I left part of my stomach lining all across Vancouver.

Anyway…Bellingham! My goal this time around was to beat the last time, of course. I was aiming for about 2:05. I thought this race was well organized, start/finish was well stocked, course was great, and Bellingham was really easy to travel in and around. I think they also did a great job of communicating to participants through email and social media. Some areas to improve: course needed more fueling stations, a half way marker would have been helpful, and they should definitely offer race-day packet pick up!

From the start of the race, my legs were tight. Often times when I start running it takes a couple miles before they loosen up and can start moving. It turns out this time even after 13.1 miles, my legs never wanted to loosen up. I am still watchless, which meant I had no way of tracking how fast I had been going or for how long. I think roughly around mile 5, I knew I wasn’t going to have fun and I started to crave biking and swimming!

The most beautiful section of the course took us along the boardwalk and trail along the Bellingham Bay roughly around mile 10 and 11. But then again, by this point I think I keep saying to myself “what the f, what the f, where does this course turn around and head back to the finish line? The day, although sunny, was windy! At one point the headwind was so strong that I realized I wasn’t running faster than I could walk, and then I got passed by a compact woman who wasn’t much taller than the boardwalk railing. So I started walking.

I’m not sure I can say I enjoyed running this day. Except until I rounded the corner, could see the finish line, and caught a glimpse of my time. I finished at 1:51:16, not only blowing my last time by 25:27. Woooot! That is some might fine improvement. A personal PR. I hope the same happens in my third half! Ha!

A Week of Races

While we were cooling down on the posts, both Dan and I were ramping up with the races. The Kowals were on the loose: congrats to Dan with a first place finish at the Hy-Vee 5150 US National Championship. Woot! Also, now with my first tri under my belt (results) I am now looking for the next challenge.

Already I am considering another tri (Trek Women Tri Series) in 2 weeks, but the funds are a little tight. Booo...triathlons are expensive. Regardless...Dan and I are now making it a goal for both of us to make it to the next years Hy-Vee championship together! Maybe a stretch for me, but a good challenge. There is a lot of work to be done.

Julie's First Tri: Lake Meridian, WA

Ok, Dan you were right: I'm already thinking about the next race. Is it too early to say I am addicted? I am sitting here, anxiously waiting results of my race...

While I outwardly spoke out that my goal for my first triathlon (sprint at Lake Meridian, WA) was to finish the race. Quietly I knew this wasn't enough I wanted a good showing; its the competitor in me. So I was thrilled when things went smoothly...like not getting a flat tire and no digestive issues. Thanks for getting me prepared for this. Also a big thanks to my friends Schuyler and Tara for showing me the ropes and doing the race with me.

I was a little concerned about how I was going to perform after only an hour's nights rest. The night before a race I can never seem to sleep...we will need to cover this as a topic later on! Luckily the previous night I had slept well. Breakfast consisted of a pb&j, banana, and a Gatorade Prime. Everything stayed down (as opposed to the day of my first half marathon.)

I definitely was pretty intimidated when we arrived at the race and started to set up transition. People have some fancy bikes and some pretty techy gear. I didn't let it get to me thought, I mean my goal was to just finish, right?

This tri started with a deep water start, and with the temperature of the water at 74 degrees (warmer than the air) it was a pretty comfortable and calming pre-start. Of course once everyone started, I definitely felt the "washing machine" effect and at one point just stopped cause there was no where to go. One swimming for about 5 minutes I was able to find my own space and get in the groove. Reviewing the race, the swimming was actually my favorite leg! I think I definitely entered "the zone."

I was definitely worried last night about not being fully prepared for the bike. I had really only been on that particular bike twice! Also, I was doing this race without the proper equipment to change a tire. I was just hoping that I wouldn't have to stop racing if a tire went flat. Phew! Another thing I learned was to take the bike for a little spin after taking it out of the car. When I first jumped on the bike, my gears were not catching and I almost thought I was going to have to get off the bike. I think I should have just double checked everything before I put it on the rack! Another topic we will have to discuss in the future is rules of drafting and passing. While this triathlon was not super strict, for future races it would be nice to know to avoid penalty.

The run was definitely the worst leg. Although going in I was thinking that this would be my strong part, I was not prepared for the tightness and jelly feeling (how contradictory) that I was going to feel. The first mile was definitely the worst as it felt like I was running on new legs. As I continued to run I could feel my legs loosening up a little more which allowed me to increase my stride. I think in my continued training I want to practice more bike/run bricks to help tackle this feeling.

Overall, this was an awesome experience! The weather was ideal and French toast was served for athletes...uh, awesome! I will post my times when they are made available. Really stoked to see how I did...especially when I had no expectations for how fast I would be going in. Will keep you posted.

No Excuse Anymore

Not owning a bike was my solid excuse for never signing up for a triathlon before. Considering the bike's fairly substantial role in a triathlon (ha), I figured I was probably not going to be signing up for a race any time soon. Last week this all changed when a friend proudly proclaimed she had an extra! (Friends rule, don't they?)

So excuse eliminated, I am now registered for my first triathlon. 24 days to prep!
Lake Meridian Triathlon (Sprint: ½ mS, 15.8mB, 3.1mR)

What do I do now? This is where having a mentor, someone who has experience racing in a triathlon comes in handy. While we will not be discussing a couch-to-tri program, there are still so many questions that need answering! Daaaaan!

Welcome to Water, Rubber & Road

Hello readers!
This is me and my brother. This photo was taken the day my brother ran his fourth 70.3 Ironman. This is also the day that I decided I would not be a spectator anymore.

Welcome to our blog. Our mission is to make getting into triathlons less intimidating by covering the topics and many questions that arise surrounding this sport. We aim to provide a reference covering topics ranging from gear to training to race day, everything to get started in triathlons. We will train hard but also laugh at ourselves and share our stories.

Between the two of us, we will be able to cover perspectives from the beginner to experienced, both male and female, and from the northwest to southeast.

This is a sibling blog about a beginner triathlete trying to keep up with an Ironman.