Weekend Race Report: First Race of the Season

Smithfield Sprint April 6, 2013

300 m swim, 10 mile bike, 5K run

It took 4 1/2 hours to get to the race site. We started driving at 3:30 AM. On the way I was starting to ask myself why we do this. I was tired, It was freezing, I get nervous, the drive is long, and so on and so forth. Not to mention the ten days it takes for a family of six to stop for a break along the way!

Really??!!

We arrive and there are tons of people there already. I'm used to being the first one there and the first one in the transition area so I was nervous I wouldn't get a "good" spot on the rack! But there were NO other bikes on my rack when I arrived to it!

Yep: Got pink!

Getting out of the car and looking around I was reminded why I love this sport so much. Cars were plastered with triathlon and running stickers, license plates were labelled with some type of "tri" in it, people a row over had fancy wheeled bikes, and folks to my right and left had knobby wheeled cruisers and mountain bikes. The woman to the right of me was doing her first triathlon on a bike cruiser and wondering what she was getting herself into. A funny caravan arrived the same time as us well. Can't say I've seen this before!

Upon arriving I saw tons of friends from town and those I know from the race circuit. So many fun and inspiring people from young to "old". 

Me with Mike and Connie Glueck. This is one FAST gal and mother of FIVE!
She is typically a top three overall winner. I think I spotted her for a second  when she blazed by me on the run!

This is the sweet, speedy, and always at the podium gal Liz Futrell!

This is the uber speedy Kate Fisher who usually ALWAYS wins
 in the top three overall and happens to be in my age group!

Of the friends I saw is a woman named Mit Tuovila who is 88 years old! I met her last year racing and honestly I was so honored she remembered me and she gave me a big hug when I came upon her! Mit was NOT the last one in! If I can move when I'm 88 it will be a miracle!

We are just having WAY too much fun before the race!!

Mit in at the finish! AND NO! She was not the last in!!

It was also really neat to see all of the kids racing under Michael Harlow with Endorphin Fitness out of Richmond, VA. Michael Harlow was awarded Developmental Coach of the Year by USAT Triathlon. He is coaching an amazing local 11 year old girl, Parker Albright who went to claim her spot at the podium! She is so inspiring and I love her enthusiasm as it is SO great to see kids like her racing! Her dad is crazy speedy as well and nabbed a spot on the podium! 

The amazing Parker Albright!

I was quite worried about this race due to the level of competition. There were 498 individuals signed up with 173 women who competed. At least three women in my age group typically win overall. Last year I was typically in the top 4-7 (after I acquired a coach) with one overall win last year. I wasn't sure if there would be space at the podium for me and I have to admit it, I like and want to be at the podium! I was also worried about the run because I have had planter fasciitis most of the winter and was unable to run. 

Running feeling happy with my cute support crew to the side cheering me on!

It was a super fun race! The swim was comfortable and although I got stuck behind people I still lost time off of my swim compared to last year. I lost an entire minute off the swim compared to last year! 

Kids watching me swim!

I lost time on everything except for T2. I admit there was so much stuff thrown on the ground from other people around the bikes I could barely even get to my shoes! I did get stuck behind a very large tractor when I was on the bike and traffic was coming from the other way so there was no way to pass. Well, we were racing at the home of Smithfield hams! The head and side winds were also pretty tough! However, my average bike speed was 19.42 mph for the 10 miles. The biggest improvement from last year was how I felt when I got off the bike. I have felt great transitioning from the bike to the run in the last bricks I have done and at this race. I cannot say this was the case last year. Even last year I would always end up walking part of the run at some point. But as the season starts this year my legs feel great off the bike and I feel pretty strong running! Out of all of the improvements after winter, this is the one thing I really wanted to improve: the feel of the run after the bike! My 5K run time was 23:10 (7:28 pace) which is great considering the lack of time spent running this winter! 

The overall winner was an elite/pro. I managed to place second in my age group after the amazing Kate Fisher. I lost 3 minutes off of my time compared to last year! I "beat" the other two people I was so worried about in my age group! This is some progress! Those girls are FAST! To top it off I won another beer glass! You can never have TOO many!

The amazing and uber awesome Kate Fisher takes our age group!
It is an honor to stand next to that speedy gal!

Clearly the glass has been drinking because it was a 300 meter swim, not a 250  meter swim

My other friends made it to the podium as well along with my 88 year old friend Mit!

Connie Glueck claims her spot!

Liz Futrell claiming a spot as well!

This day wouldn't have been possible without my very special support crew!

Husband Rob

Thijs our youngest (3)

Arie hiding, Thijs being his usual goofy self, Eva and Rob smiling

Arie, Eva, and Thijs and who you can'ts see is the picture taker - my mom - who makes race day possible!

The sites and sounds of race day are fun (notice I don't put smells in here ha ha)! Virginia Tech's triathlon club was there and along with them was a friend, Brandon Fair who was racing for fun, and he put many smiles on tons of faces with his entertaining way! Thanks for putting so many smiles on people 's faces Brandon!

Brandon Fair AKA "Banana Boy"

So race day was a blast. It is full with a gammet of emotions: nervousness, sleepiness, excitement, pain, smiles, laughter, and just pure happiness. I love the range of people doing the sport from the very young like 11 year old Parker to 88 year old Mit and the range of experience from the elite/pro who won, to those of us age-groupers who are focused and actively training, and to those who are showing up for the first time to try a triathlon. It's really a beautiful experience. Thanks to all of the volunteers who make this possible and to the Virginia Triathlon Series for always putting on top-notch races! When I hear people say "it's just a sprint", I can truly say no, it is much, much more.