It's race week - we're going off-road!

 

Since December 5th, we have been extremely lucky with our weekend weather. We have been able to ride outside every Saturday morning for the past two months. Although a few of those rides were rather cold, drizzly and windy, the weather seemed to always be in our favor. 

This past weekend was a different story. On Saturday morning, it was cold and rainy. Although the trainer is always available for a weather-controlled indoor ride, I craved a change in the routine. Maybe it was meant to be. 

Instead of staring at the wall for a few hours, I decided to start my workout with 30 minutes of mobility and strength (with EC Fit On Demand) and then headed out in the light cold rain for a run on my favorite long run loop. Although I wasn't quiet sure how to dress, I found myself comfortable and happy running in the light cold rain. I listened to two triathlon podcast interviews during my run and found delight in dodging the puddles and feeling the wind in different directions as I made my way out and back on the undulating 11.5-mile loop. To keep with the theme of the weekend (changing things up), I repeated the route on Sunday for two 11.5 mile runs in 48 hours. My legs responded really well to the 2nd run and with a different shoe choice on Sunday (NB Fuelcell) versus Saturday (NB Fresh Foam), I ran much more efficiently on Sunday with a slightly faster pace and an average HR of around 8 beats less on Sunday. I'd call that a successful weekend of quality training! 

Karel and I are really excited for this weekend as we will be participating in our first race of 2021! I came across the Thomasville Clay Road Classic after searching for gravel rides in and around our area. I had just finished my first gravel ride with Karel and was instantly hooked. After showing the event page with Karel, it was an easy decision to register for the 100-mile distance. This will be our first ever gravel "race." Our assistant coach Joe will be joining us and we know of a few other people who will be participating. One of my favorite things about racing is seeing familiar faces. 

I've been asked by a few people if I am giving up triathlon racing for bike racing. My answer is always a quick no. I love the sport of triathlon - especially long distance triathlon training and racing. I love swimming, I love biking and I like running (love/hate relationship with it). But during these uncertain and unpredictable times, I find it really important to explore different racing opportunities - which means using my triathlon fitness for different racing experiences. 

Although I love swimming, biking and running, I really enjoy racing. Although it's incredibly uncomfortable at times and sometimes brings worry, frustration, anxiety and distress, race day is worth getting excited for. I love the community feel of a race, being around other like-minded individuals and escaping the stressors of life for a day (or a few hours) in order to do something that brings you excitement and joy. Competition (or participating in an event) also teaches you a lot of great lessons that you can apply to life. Every race is seen as a driving force and a form of motivation for continued improvement. 

Sport is all about what you make of it. It's all-too-easy to stay in a comfort zone and opt for what's familiar, convenient or comfortable. But with the added weight on our shoulders of whether or not a future race will happen, I believe it's really important to seek out and take advantage of the opportunities that are available to you right now. While it's important not to abandon your structured training for your future events and to also keep yourself safe during this pandemic, it can be a wonderful thing for your mind to change up the normal workout routine and to try new things. 

When looking for a race, consider your current level of fitness and skills and search for something that would slightly stretch your comfort zone. Also consider your safety as it relates to your health. Any race/event that you choose should be something that makes you nervously excited. 

Don't be afraid to step outside of what's familiar to do something that your future self will thank you for. 

Although a systematic training plan will have a certain amount of monotony to produce physiological adaptations, it’s necessary to occasionally break the monotony. Changing up the routine allows you to stay emotionally and mentally engaged. Otherwise, always going through the same motions can increase the risk of boredom and burnout.

Change the sport, change the scenery, change the route, change the isolation, change the need for familiar and comfortable. 

Don’t fear change.
Embrace it.

Race Report: Greenville Spinners 10-mile TT

Although your race season may look different in 2020, it's important to find ways to feel athletically challenged. Here are a few reasons why athletes still need to be put into "race like" scenarios:

• To look forward to a physical and mental challenge.
• To keep you motivated and dedicated (give yourself a reason to keep showing up to your workouts).
• To give training a purpose.
• To anticipate, plan and prepare for something (similar to a race).
• To feel the nerves, excitement and wonder of the unknown.
• To test yourself in uncomfortable scenarios (similar to race day).
• To feel pressure to show up and deliver the best version of yourself on that day.
• To challenge yourself. Perhaps to do something that you have never done before.
• To hold yourself accountable: Start what you will say you will do. Finish what you start.

Although the Greenville Spinners Time Trial series always interested me, it was never well-timed with my triathlon races (or our group camp schedule). With no triathlon races on my 2020 summer calendar (all have been cancelled), I have been itching to race. I am really missing the comraderie of suffering, seeing familiar faces, cheering for others and going through all the emotions and motions of racing. The race itself is just a bonus.

After signing up for the Time Trial, I quickly found myself feeling all the nervous energy that I had been missing for the past 9 months. Karel was really excited for me to race in my first ever time trial so he decided to stay on the sidelines for this event so he could watch/cheer for me in action. Plus, we had two of our athletes (Alvi and Yannick) along with knowing several friends and familiar faces at the event, so Karel had fun being in the race mode without having to suffer. Not to worry - I did plenty of suffering!

I went through all the motions of preparing for my time trial effort (which started at 6:52pm on Thurs evening). I "tapered" with bike specific workouts to help sharpen my engine. I reduced my running volume (I kept with my normal swimming training) and I kept strength light and focused on mobility. I found myself nervously excited on Thursday as I counted down the hours to the event. I triple checked my gear, got overly excited about putting on my "race kit" and got all the feels when I saw my Ventum bike all race ready (thank you Karel!) with the race wheels on. 

The event atmosphere was safe, fun and inviting. There were over 80 athletes registered in all types of categories. Some had full time trial set-ups whereas others had road bikes. There was a wide range of abilities and even a hand cycle participant (so inspiring!!).

It was hot and steamy out but I wasn't complaining. I love the heat and I was ready to suffer. 

Karel joined me for my race warm-up, which lasted a little less than an hour. As an endurance athlete, I knew I would need a long warm-up before I felt ready to go. Thankfully we arrived early and gave myself plenty of time to get in a solid warm-up.

WU:
~15 min EZ
~10 min steady (still pretty easy)

MS:
3 x 2 min (build #1 to 3 from strong to very strong), each with 90 sec EZ spin
5 min EZ
2 x 15 sec all out sprints w/ 90 sec EZ spin
EZ spin

Total time: ~50 minutes (~15 miles)

I rode on the time trial course, which was an out and back course, totalling 10 miles (it ended up being slightly longer at 10.2 miles). The course features rolling hills, with one significant climb on the way out and way back, right near the start/finish. The course is on a popular road for cyclists as its a nicely paved ~7 mile loop that circles that Donaldson airport. There are also several large factories spread out inside the loop so the best times to ride at Donaldson are in the evening and on the weekend. There's a designated parking lot (with two port-o-johns) provided by the Greenville Spinners. 

Did I mention how great it was to see so many familiar faces?? I've been competitively racing triathlon for over 14 years and although I love to compete, I just love being around like-minded individuals. 

After my warm-up, I kept spinning my legs until it was time for me to line-up for my designated start time (6:52pm). Riders went off in 1 minute intervals and we spaced ourselves out as we stood in place, ready for our start time. 

I didn't feel too nervous for the event but instead, I was excited for the suffering. I was going to give it my best effort as I didn't want to miss out on this opportunity to test myself. Karel prepared me well and I was mentally and physically ready to leave it all out on the course. 

Just me against the clock. Often called the "race of truth," a time trial is often viewed as the ultimate test of a cyclist's fitness ability. Lucky for me, I am a triathlete and I have not done any specific time trial workouts specific to this distance. Time trialing for 10-miles is very different than completing 112 miles on the bike after 2.4 miles of swimming and before 26.2 miles of running. Nevertheless, I focused on what I could control - bike handling skills, terrain management, aerodynamics, gear and mental attitude. I can't change my fitness when I arrive to a race but I know I can give my best.  

Garmin Stats: 
Distance: 10.2 miles
Time: 25:33.58
Speed: 24.0 mph
Normalized lap power: 198 watts (average power 192 watts)
Elevation gain: 259 feet
Average cadence: 95 rpm
Average HR: 152 bpm (max 166 bpm)

Cool down spin: ~20 minutes

After my effort, I was spent. My legs were shaking and I could barely stay stable on my bike. Karel was on the last hill near the finish and he yelled "push it, push it" to me as I was giving everything I had at the finish. I managed to squeeze out a tiny bit more but wowzer, that hurt. It was painfully delightful. My heart rate rarely gets that high so I knew it was a honest effort, leaving everything out on the course. Mission accomplished. 

I am incredibly grateful to my body for allowing me to participate in this event. I realize these are difficult times and life is uncertain and unpredictable. I am thankful that the Greenville Spinners put on such a well-organized and safe event and that I have the health and ability to participate. And thank you Karel for all your support and for teaching me how to become a stronger, more confident and more skillful cyclist. It's crazy to think how much I struggled to ride a bike when I started triathlon and now I absolutely love my time on two wheels. 

Learn more here: Greenville Spinners Summer Time Trials