Race Result

Racer:	Jamie Roberson
Race:	Marilyn Lathom "Homegrown" Triathlon
Date:	Sunday, May 18, 2008
Location:	Reston, VA
Race Type:	Triathlon - Sprint
Age Group:	Female 45 - 49
Time:	2:35:30
Overall Place:	52 / 53
Age Group Place:	24 / 25
Comment:	New Bike = New Attitude

Race Report:

Angry

Lately I've been angry. I'm angry that it costs more than $50 to fill up my gas tank. I'm angry that so much of our food supply is polluted by high-fructose corn syrup and corn-based sweeteners, contributing to the obesity epidemic. I'm angry that there is sugar hidden in food that is not "supposed" to be sweet.

In addition to being angry, I've suffered a lull in motivation. I'm just kind of bored in my workout routine and find that I'm often just going throught the motions. I read a recent post here on trirats that mentioned a lack of MOJO, and that really hit home. I just haven't felt the fire in the belly, so much so that I skipped out on the VA Run Sprint Tri and opted to sleep. Maybe my body needed the rest. Who knows.

The lack of MOJO is one reason that I haven't posted lately. I really haven't had anything of substance to contribute. Maybe I still don't. But I have been lurking and learning. It's been better to close my mouth and open my ears.

Maybe there are political answers for all of the gas and nutritional issues, but I'm not interested in argument or rhetoric. This isn't the appropriate forum for that anyway. Since I'd rather light a candle than curse the darkness, I decided to stop complaining and do something about it: I bought a commuter bike.

New Bike = New Attitude

Buying the bike has reversed all of that. My new ride is a Trek 7.5 Women's Specific Design. I test-rode several models at Spokes Vienna, but knew that this was The One For Me as soon as I hopped on. It was so much fun, with the wider tires, flat handlebars, and platform pedals. Whee!! I felt like a kid again. The aluminum frame kept it light, while the carbon fork made for a smooth ride. If my QR Kilo is a thoroughbred, this is a muscular quarter horse.

It's been a joy to commute at least part-way to DC, cutting my gas consumption and upping my metabolism. It's also brought back the MOJO. New toys will do that, so much so that I got a new wetsuit, too.

What does this have to do with the Homegrown Triathlon, though? Plenty. I've enjoyed riding this bike so much that I've been finding reasons to ride it. And with rain predicted for the Homegrown, it seemed like a great opportunity to practice racing in the rain without risking damage to my tri bike (South Lakes Drive, despite the repaving, is still a mess - don't get me started, I'm not pleased about that, either).

The Homegrown Triathlon

The Homegrown is not the race for speedsters in perfectly matched kits and four-figure price tag bikes. Of the 50-or-so competitors, perhaps a quarter rode tri or road bikes, with hybrids, mountain bikes, and commuter bikes making up the majority. Perhaps a third of the athletes were first-time triathletes, ranging from elementary school age to retirees. Also, there probably were as many volunteers as there were participants. It is a truly unique experience in a sport that many criticize as becoming elitist.

There are two transition areas: the parking lot behind the RCC pool, and the soccer field on South Lakes Drive. I rode the bike from home to RCC (about a mile and a half) and leaned the Trek against a tree (it wasn't the only one with a kickstand!) in the transition area. Then I checked in and chatted with competitors and volunteers, including Holly (a triathlete and fellow melanoma survivor whom I'd spoken with via email but never before met), Holly's friend Kerry, and Angela, the newbie whom I'd met at Worldgate.

Swim :29:18 (Goal :30, 2007 :28:20)

The Homegrown swim is unique in the it is a pool swim with dedicated lanes - no snake swim here. The race's small size and heavy volunteer presence means that a lap counter is available to count your laps, time you, and - if you're veryvery nice - cheer you on.

Because this was a less "formal" tri, I decided against wearing my RAT gear and instead wore bike shorts and a sport bra under my swimsuit. This way, I could shuck the suit and throw on a running tshirt with preattached race number in T1. The shorts and sports bra were also the same ones that I plan to wear under my wetsuit at Eagleman, so this would also be a good trial run.

The swim was otherwise uneventful. About halfway into the 1000m, I found a rhythm and concentrated on form. Good thing for the lap counter, since I lost count and was finished before I thought. Wished my time had been better, but it was within my goal.

T1 :03:26 (Goal :03, 2007 :08:10)
The swimsuit-shuck worked well and was not obscene. I slipped on my Slow Fat Triathlete tshirt (a bit difficult against wet skin), as well as my Reston Tri hoodie, stepped into my running shoes, and ran out to my bike against the tree. On with the helmet, up with the kickstand, and away we go. A bit slower than my goal, but better than last year.

Bike 1:05:32 (Goal 1:00, 2007 1:07:33)

Because of the rough milled stretch from South Lakes HS to Twin Branches Rd., we were given a choice of two laps of the original course (South Lakes, right on Twin Branches, right on Glade, right on Colts Neck, right on South Lakes and repeat - a shorter, simplified version of the Reston Tri course), or three laps of a similar course that would turn right off South Lakes on to Soapstone, then right on Glade, etc. The alternate route was advertised as smoother but hillier (doubt it - original course is plenty hilly), but I decided on the original course. Two laps is just psychologically easier then three.

This turned out to be a good choice, and I learned something amazing: aero bars really ARE helpful on the downhills! Even though I tried to crouch as much as I could, I still could feel my body blocking the slipstream. Though I didn't meet my goal of covering the 12 miles in one hour, I came close, averaging 10.7 mph, and beating last year's time...which was on my racing bike.

T2 :01:52 (Goal :02:00, 2007 :04:29)

Easy cheesy. Arrived at the soccer field, leaned the Trek against a tree, doffed the helmet, shucked the sweatshirt, grabbed my ever-grubbier IronGirl visor from a pre-marked bag in a pile, and went off on the run course. Not having to change shoes (and going sockless) makes a beeg difference.

Run 55:22 (Goal :50, 2007 57:49)

Ugh. The run just feels so sloggy. I keep waiting for the "rhythm" to happen, but it has proven elusive. I still was able to run a little more than half as much as I walked, but this is a limiter. It also didn't help that a tiny grain of sand wedged into my running shoe where I couldn't get to it and dug a sore patch that bled when I took off my shoe.

Final 2:35:30 (Goal 2:25, 2007 2:46:21)
24/25 women
52/53 overall

Other than the swim and T1, all disciplines were faster than in 2007, so that makes me happy.

My nutrition was better, too. I've discovered that the key to getting solid food down is to nibble at morning breakfast and wash it down with a lot of fluid. Otherwise my throat just closes up. While waiting for checkin about an hour before race time, I had a grape jelly Uncrustable (thanks for the idea, Nancinator!) and water, then three packs of sport beans on the bike, along with a full sippy-cup/aerobottle of ice water.

Conclusion

A big thanks to the race organizers for what I've called "Reston's Best-Kept Secret". They run a fun race that's accessible but still challenging, and always relentlessly positive.

Congratulations also to Angela and all of the first timers who completed their first triathlon. You! Are! A Triathlete!

And thank you, readers, for reading this for so long. Your reward is freedom from my whining about anger and MOJO. Gas prices will still be high, there will still be garbage in our food, but I have my new toys and a renewed attitude.

Good thing, because the Eagleman Aquabike is a few short weeks away...