Leslie-Ann at St Paddys Day and Canmore Winter Tri

St. Paddy’s Day 10k - March 12, 2011

I had signed up for this race thinking it would be a good beginning to my race season and use the training and the race day itself to wean me off my skis for this season.

It was not a particularly successful plan as I was skiing very hard the weekend before the race which drained me! As a result pre-race week was more a recovery week!

That being said, I decided it wasn’t going to be a PR race which helped the pre-race prep!

Ohhh, there are times it is good to be a Rider fan! I had my pick of what “green and white” attire I could wear for the race. I selected one of Roger’s green and white striped rugby jerseys and donned a green afro wig! (Roger had the same wig on topped off with a green and white Cat ‘n’ the Hat hat!)

Race day dawned a cool but sunny morning. I wasn’t nervous or stressed about the race itself more concerned with the internal issue that had plagued me. I hoped it would leave me alone and it did for the most part.

Wandered around saying hello to other TTL members, checked out the merchandise and found myself walking to the start line without a proper warm-up (oops)! That had me shift again how I was going to do this race. My error was I was more concerned about Roger as he was doing his 1^st 5k and not wishing to leave him alone!

Off we go and I had to take the 1^st kilometer to literally warm up! As the race continued, the sun came out and the temp rose. This was noticeable to me as I had this rugby jersey on that seemed to me to weigh a ton. I took off my neck scarf (Rider green and white of course!) and that cooled me down. Note to self: Fun to wear fun stuff but if it is not proper running gear it becomes too heavy and too hot!

I did fine on the climbs, not as fine on the down-hills. I began to curse running when I shifted that thought as I decided that 10k was not my distance this year and eased my pace and breathing which eased my mental stress load.

The dreaded internal issue flared around the 8k mark stopped and talked my gut into backing off so I could finish the race. Did so utilizing the downhill towards the finish vs. fighting it!

Time for the race-56:37.75. Placed 80/236 women and 24/52 in the 40-49 category. I’m good with that but definitely know I could have done better.

Recovery for the day was the worst I have ever been through! It looked like I had run farther the lack ‘o’ energy that I had!

I did manage to pull myself together enough and Roger and I went to the post-race gathering. We did not stay long, not because of the day but because I needed to get some sleep as I was on a team that was doing the Canmore Winter Triathlon the next day! Needed to be “up” for my 500m swim portion!

Summary:

I did not have the pre-race running in that I should have nor the rest! Fuelling begins everyday now and I need to figure that out so I am not challenged 1 or 2 days prior with repercussions during the race.

I had fun as it was a special treat to have Roger there as a participant. He ran his 1^st timed 5k and did great! He said he would not run another timed event but would keep up the training. I’m good with that!

Canmore Winter Triathlon - March 13th - Team Event, Swim Portion

I haven’t done a team event since the late 1980’s where I was the swimmer (shocking I know…) for an Olympic distance triathlon.

I posted on FB (Richelle’s wall I believe) that I would do the swim for a team. Next thing I know Allyson contacts me and I’m on a team!

I was thinking the race was in April, good thing I checked earlier in the week!!

I got out to Canmore at 1:30pm poor Allyson was a bit worried that I wasn’t going to make it! I had told her and the other team member I wouldn’t be out until 1:30pm due to family commitments but she didn’t get that message!

Got numbered, set up how our transition would go (Allyson was the runner) and waited on deck until my heat.

I was in a lane with some very fast swimmers! I was the 2^nd swimmer and I did get passed but I used those opportunities to draft. What a fun 25m I had behind a really tall and fast guy!

One of the guys that passed me I managed to catch up to in the last 50m. In fact, I was on his feet within the last 10m. I was just getting warmed up when I had to get out! I figure in a longer distance I would’ve passed that swimmer!

Tagged Allyson and she was off! Met up with the team just as the x-country skier Angela Ripley finished, she was very fast! She had recently medaled at the World Masters Games, wow! Angela made x-country skiing look easy! Glad it was her and not me, I would’ve been on my keister! LOL!

I was unable to stay for the medal presentation which was too bad as our team came in 1^st place! Well done Triple A Spirit!!!

It was a fun race and the swim was exactly what I needed to recover. Yup, love the water!

Good weekend for racing! Bring on the rest of the season!!