Five Mile Lake Triathlon

Saturday, June 13th

Great day! Warm water, smooth roads and swift runs were enjoyed by everyone. Using this as our "warm-up" event for the upcoming season tensions were low and the mood was light and fun. + Lisa, Desiree, Jennifer, Mala, Suzi, Nancy, Ginny, Sharon, Rino, Richard, Casey and Philippe arrived in Federal Way early Saturday morning ready to get body marked and set up transition. Nancy and I worked our way through the transition area checking sdt @ps and providing pointers where we could. With everyone duly organized and ready to go it was time to get those LOVELY black rubber suits pulled on and waddle our way the lake.

After last year's VERY cold day at this event, it was quite reassuring to hear everyone in the first heat of the swim remark as to how nice and warm the lake was. It seems that no matter how long, or how short a triathlon swim is, a sense of anxiety can be felt in the air during the last few seconds before the gun goes off. This morning was no different . . . but as always happens, the gun does goes off, our heads hit the water and it is time to let our bodies do what we have trained them to do.

Lisa was using this morning as a "practice" event for Iron Coeur D'Alene being held the following weekend. In Lisa's own words, "I was really happy to participate in this event and get my head in the right place." Job well done Lisa!

After making her way through a tough swim, Mala was able to regroup, get on her bike, start passing people on the road and finish with a strong run. In fact, Mala's run felt so strong she is now a self professed believer in our Tempo runs! Great job at hanging in there Mala and never giving up.

Rino set two goals for his first event of the season. His goals were to have a "decent" swim and finish under 1:30. Both goals met . . . AND a big smile at the finish. Congratulations Rino!

Employing some great sportsmanship, Casey offered a gel packet to another racer that was cramping on the run and then continued to stay with the cramping runner and try to keep him moving. In the meantime a racer with the age of 65 marked on his calf passed Casey only to hear "You are making us young men look weak!" from Casey. After bidding adieu to the racer who's cramps would not let up, Casey caught up to the speedy 65 year old and paced him in the rest of the way. Thanks for showing eveyone the true meaning of Sportsmanship.

The highlight of the morning for everyone had to be watching Suzi enter the Park near the finish of her run. Suzi was racing this morning to honor Rick holding his memory close to her heart. Watching her power and determination push her through the final hundred yards, we lined up as a team behind her and crossed that finish line together for Rick. A powerful end to an amazing morning.

Ironman Coeur D'Alene

Sunday, June 21st

I seem to say it every year, and this year will be no different, "Every Ironman event has a story" It is usually the weather, and this year the weather played center stage again.

The Club Emerald 2009 Ironcrew of Lisa Copeland, Shawn LeProwse, Beth Remy and Kim Sharman began their dedicated training in February. Thankfully we had a relatively forgiving spring that forced us indoors to train only a couple of times. After forging through over 72,000 yards of swimming, 800 miles on the bike and 400 miles of running . . . it was time to pack the cars and head to Coeur D'Alene.

Friday was a travel day for most of the crew. Upon arriving in CDA we quickly threw our bags and bikes into our hotel rooms then headed down to the race site for registration. The driving rain we encountered while at the Expo should have been our first clue that the weather might be questionable. Staying dry under a big tent everyone completed the registration process, received their mandatory wrist bands, timing chips and assorted schwag. On to the merchandise tent we slogged looking for the best Ironman memorabilia before it is all sold old.

Friday night brought us all together for a dinner with the Ironcrew and any family members/supporters that had arrived in CDA. Some yummy food, some good laughs and it was back to hotel to organize, pack and double check transition bags.

We were up early Saturday morning to get breakfast in and get to the swim start for our practice. Thankfully we woke up to beautiful sunny skies and moderate temperatures. The nice weather helped to calm the nerves and allow everyone to focus on the task at hand.

We hit the water at 7:00am in an attempt to simulate the sun position we would experience on Sunday morning. (little did we know that it would become a moot point on Sunday) After a short swim in the relatively choppy water we headed to our cars to hop on the bikes and check them out. A 20 minute ride proved that all the bikes were in good working order and ready to roll. We put the bikes back in the cars and everyone except Kim headed out for a short 10 minute jog to keep the legs loose. Kim and I stayed back in the big parking lot and worked on her gear shifting mechanics. Ready to go!!!

The rest of Saturday morning was spent back at the hotel with everyone double checking their transition bags and making lists of what was in the bags (to avoid the dreaded . . . "did I remember to put my ____ in there?") With gear bags packed, bikes numbered, and nerves beginning to jangle just a bit, it was time to head back down to the race venue to rack our bikes and drop off our transition bags. With all the gear in it's proper place I briefly walked the Crew through the ins and outs of each transition, then it was off for some lunch, a quiet afternoon hopefully off their feet and an early dinner on their own.

The night before Ironman is a tough one when it comes to finding a good night's sleep. Thankfully the pharmaceutical industry has offered up some good over the counter remedies if needed. :-) I was lucky enough to have a roomie on Saturday night as Kim choose to sleep the night before the race in the second bed in my room versus her room with a husband and two teenagers in it. Hmmmm, a room with one adult and her own bed, or a room with two adults, two teenagers and a shared bed . . . a good choice Kim!

4:00am Sunday morning arrives soon enough and the ritual begins. By now everyone knows exactly how much time they must allow to wake-up, get breakfast in, get dressed and get ready to go.

5:15am We meet in the parking lot and pile into my car for the short drive to the venue. We woke up to sunny skies which clearly helped to lift the mood. I chose not to point out the wall of clouds just over the hill that were headed our way. The Crew would figure that one out on their own soon enough.

5:25am First stop is body marking, it is all becoming quite real at this point. Even though all four members of our Ironcrew this year have competed in prior Ironman events, the morning of the event still brings anxiety at some level. With arms and legs officially marked and covered back up with sweats to stay warm, it was time to head into transition. For security and crowd control purposes, only athletes with the proper wrist band are allowed into the transition area (I won't give away my secret here as to how I managed to get in!) Now it's time to load the bikes with the necessary fuel and fluid for the day, double check and add to the transition bags we dropped off yesterday and just generally try to take a deep breath. Wetsuits are put halfway on and we head off to the far end of the beach to drop Special Needs bags. Special Needs bags hold anything the athlete might need mid-way through the bike and/or run. They serve as a great mental safety net knowing that you can reload your fuel, grab a treat or resupply anything you might have dropped out on the course.

6:30am Reunion time with the families/friends. It has now become quite chilly and the wind is whipping the lake into a frenzy. Ominous??? Yes. An added challenge??? Yes. Will it stop us??? No! Pictures are taken, hugs and kisses are held just a few extra seconds, a few tears of joy and fear are shed.

6:45am After the final goodbyes, I take the Crew down the sidewalk and show them the split in the wall they need to walk through to activate their timing chip. I walk around the far side of the wall and meet them on the sand.

6:50am Lisa heads down to the front of the swim start as her plan calls for a FAST swim of roughly 1:00. She is one brave chick to start up front! I move the rest of the crew to right (farther away from the buoys) about 15 yards and about 1/2 way back in the pack of swimmers that is now growing tighter and tighter.

6:59am The crowd is yelling, the wind is whipping, cameras are feverishly clicking, the helicopter is buzzing just overhead . . . the excitement is palpable.

7:00am One the dot, as always, the cannon blasts and the water turns from a very dark blue/black to a frothy white as 2200 swimmers battle to find the fastest and most efficient line to navigate the 2.4 mile swim. The professional athletes, both men and women were sent off at 6:25am in an attempt to give them clear and open water for their swim. Sadly the tail end of the pro field did not quite complete their first lap of the swim course before the 7:00am start of the age groupers. It looked somewhat like a piranha feeding frenzy as the front of the age group pack literally swallowed up the pros just rounding the buoy.

One by one I cheer our Crew on as the triumphantly emerge from their two lap swim and seem VERY happy to be out of the choppy water. After all was said and done Lisa proclaimed this year's swim to be the roughest, most combative she has ever done. Job well done guys!

I had one BIG goal for everyone on the Ironcrew this year since it was the second time through for all. FAST, EFFICIENT transitions were to be the focus of the day. I was SO pleased to see everyone focused and on task as they made their way through the big white tents. Everyone came in under my goal times I had set. I reminded the Crew that transition is the one place during their day that they actually stop moving forward toward the finish line. Definitely a place to be efficient and focused.

Everyone is very happy to be out of the choppy water and out on the bike. I head out to the far reaches of the bike course where there aren't a lot of crowds so I will be able to get a FEW words in with everyone as they go by. I JUST miss Lisa, literally by about 1 minute, but am able to see everyone else. Spirits seem high, although I find out the next day that as I ask Kim "Are you alright?" she takes it as though I think she isn't alright. Ironman is such a mental game and unfortunately Kim spent a good portion of the remainder of the bike wondering what I saw or why I didn't think she was okay. The mind is such a powerful tool!

I headed back into town to catch everyone as they were about 15 miles into their second loop. This leaves them at about the 65-70 mile mark. I got a smile out of all four, and everyone seemed okay. The wind was definitely taking a toll though out on the course. The skies had gone from blue to a dark, threatening gray and it was COLD, at least for those of us that weren't on our bikes.

After making a quick trip back to the hotel to add a layer of clothing, I headed back to transition to catch everyone as they came off their bike and transitioned to the run. Lisa was the first of the Crew in on the bike, followed closely by Shawn. Beth came in shortly thereafter following a GREAT bike split. Beth did have to deal one big error in that she forgot to grab her liquid/gel fuel from her T1 bag thus she was left with only Clif Bars to eat on the bike. Needless to say 112 miles of consuming 5 Clif Bars will send your stomach into a very unhappy place. Shawn had a smokin' fast first loop of the bike (maybe a little too fast?) and wisely saw that he needed to pace the second loop a little better in order to survive the upcoming marathon. Thank you for using your noggin Shawn!

Standing with Shawn's wife Becca and daughter Meaghan on the lakefront with my back to the lake I was beginning to feel like I should be watching a ski race. It was FREEZING! The cold wind was blowing across the lake and it felt to be about 32 degrees with the wind chill. After seeing Lisa, Shawn and Beth safely out on the run, I was digging in my coat pockets hoping against all hope that I would find a pair of mittens in there. No such luck. I scurry to the Merchandise Tent looking to buy an overpriced knit beanie . . . shocking, they are all sold out. Apparently I wasn't the first one with that idea.

I talk with Kim's husband Tim who is standing at the bike dismount area, he is going to call me when Kim arrives. Should be any minute now. I am taking a few minutes to eat some WARM Qdoba food and hide from the wind. Tim calls and Kimmie is in! I cheer her out onto the run course and she isn't looking too happy. A few tears, she is tired. After making the short out and back portion of the run through the park I see her again and she has turned the corner emotionally, managed to regroup and I see a smile on her face, YAY!

At almost the exact same time that Kim's foot hit the ground after the bike leg, the heavens opened up and the rain began. Geez. That is all they need. At least everyone was in safely from the bike before the rains came.

Lisa held a great, steady pace throughout the swim and bike and was able to continue with her steadfast pace on the run. Her husband Robert and friend Susannah were able to pop up periodically on the run course to keep her going. As the rain deepened and the wind continued to cool everyone off the race officials were handing out mylar blankets to anyone that wanted them to stay warm. From my observations, anyone that was able to maintain some sort of a run/jog/schlog pace was doing okay. Anyone that was relegated to walking looked very cold and seemed to really need the silver "blankets" the race was offering.

Shawn's big goal for this event was to "run the run" and improve upon the run leg from his 2007 IM in Arizona. Mission accomplished! Once Shawn was able to gain control of his bike pace, he set himself up for a great run. Smooth and steady Shawn ticked off the miles and quite frankly didn't seem to mind the weather at all.

After being forced to consume 5 full Clif Bars on the bike, Beth was battling a very unhappy stomach on the run course. Beth was able to keep the forward progress in order, however lap one did contain a lot more walking than she would have liked. Pulling it together on her second lap Beth looked VERY happy to be jogging again and headed toward the finish line. Although her ultimate goal of bettering her time from 2007 was not to be on this day, Beth learned a great deal about herself, her tenacity and further deepened her believe in herself. Onward!

Kimmie, Kimmie, Kimmie . . . what a joy to watch as she experiences, internalizes and ultimately conquers her second Ironman. This sport of ours can do some funny things to your head (on the inside!) and this side of Ironman did not escape Kim. As I mentioned earlier, the first few miles of Kim's run included many tears. With the encouragement of her family and all of the spectators lining the run course, she realized that YES, she could do this and it was time to focus on moving forward toward the finish line. Staying intent on her race plan of a 9 minute jog followed by a 1 minute walk, Kim's watch became her new best friend. She didn't focus on the miles, or the finish clock, just her 9/1 intervals.

How fantastic was it to see all four member of the Ironcrew running down Sherman Avenue, oblivious to the rain, wind and cold, enveloped in the sheer joy, relief and exultation of an Ironman finish. More tears were shed, but these were ALL happy tears. With family and friends on hand to cheer and hug, it was all worth it to our amazing Crew of four.

Soon after the finishes, warm bodies began to turn cold, legs began to stiffen and stomachs were beginning their revolt. A quick change into some warm, dry clothes, a slice of warm pizza and off to the hot tub we go!!!

I will wrap up this VERY long (sorry about that!) race report with my most sincere THANK YOU to Lisa, Beth, Kim and Shawn. The four of you gave it all you had both in training and on Sunday. You trusted me with your training and race plans and you devoted almost a full year of yourself and your time to the process. Take the time now to be very proud of yourselves. Remember that is NOT all about the finish times, it is as much about the lessons you learn along the way and what you do with those lessons moving forward.

CONGRATULATIONS!

Seafair Triathlon

Sunday, July 19th

FUN DAY!!! Had I only remembered to actually put the camera battery IN the camera after charging it, we would have a bunch of beautiful pictures to show you. Sorry! Nancy trekked down to Seward Park to act as our official photographer and was left with only her IPhone to snap a few pics. My bad.

So, aside from the technical glitch we all enjoyed the beautiful weather and great crowds.

We had three teammates make up two relay teams between them. The "Emerald Girls" had Andrea swimming with Mala biking and running. The "Sponsored by Advil" (love the name) team had Karen swimming and biking with Andrea running. Our third relay team for the day was a great mix with Desiree swimming and biking and Nick (our trainer from the Club) taking on the run. Great teamwork everyone!

On the individual side of things, Foster made good on his promise from last spring to compete at Seafair in a speedo. Let's just say he did not disappoint! Running into transition fashionably late (really? 6:45 Foster?) I see him strip off his sweats to proudly show off his psychedelic Pucci inspired speedo. Classic! How could I be upset with him for being late after seeing that?

Also jumping into the fray with the age group competetion was Tahne, Jennifer, Rino, Philippe and Richard. I heard reports about (and witnessed first hand) the combative swim. I don't think it mattered what heat you were in or where you started, it was just a narrow swim start with 100 or so of your new best friends. Tough to find clear water for awhile. Andrea gave Rino some great advice as we were waiting to get in the water. She reminded him to just repeat the mantra, "I am having fun, I am having fun." as he is getting pummeled in the water.

Everyone made it out of the water and I have to say I am quite happy with our transition times. Since Nancy wasn't able to capture any of it on the camera, I just have to go on faith that no one sat down. Right guys???

Solid bike rides were the name of the game. Our biggest kudos of the morning go to Philippe and Jennifer for making the quick turn around from the STP the previous weekend. Those had to be some tired legs!!!

Out of T2 and onto the run. "The hill" was a big subject in our pre-race conversations. Our Team motto is always "never stop on the hill!" and this one I know for a fact held true. Nancy strategically placed herself just at the point in the hill where you might talk yourself into walking for just a few steps. But NO, there she is in her Team sweatshirt cheering and encouraging everyone up to the top. Thanks Nancy! Coming down the hill we got another treat as Foster was standing at the bottom of the hill (medal already on!) keeping everyone going for that last 1/4 mile. Those bursts of encouragement go a long way. Thanks Team!!

So we can put another very successful Seafair Triathlon in the books. Thank you to all on the Team that gave it their all.

Federal Escape Triathlon

Saturday, July 25th

We had a little bit of everything in Federal Way today. Due to vacation schedules we had a relatively small crew head south to play, but it was a FUN crew that meant business!

The Olympic distance event started first at 7:30am so Casey, team alums Cory & Kerry and I headed down early and got set up. We were informed during the pre-race meeting that instead of the normal 2 loop swim around the buoys, we were actually going to EXIT the water, run around a sign and get back in. Okay we say, whatever you need us to do.

The men went first with the women following five minutes later. Boy, it was REALLY hard to see as we headed back toward the shore after the second turn buoy. With the sun shining directly in our eyes is was truly swimming blind and hoping that the splashes in front of us were actually going the right direction!

Coming out of the water and into T1 I see Casey and he mentions that "oh man! I need to make up five minutes on you . . . I better go!" So off he goes and I wouldn't see Casey again until after the finish. (more on THAT later!). As I am leaving T2 I take a quick glance over for Cory's bike and don't see it, great, he must be out ripping up the bike course.

Our marching orders were four loops of the bike course. We were in charge of counting our own laps. They even had some out there for the first few laps reminding us to keep count. About half way out on my first loop I hear someone coming up on me FAST, must be a guy I think. Yep, a very fast guy goes whizzing past me. WAIT . . . that's Cory!! Why was he behind me? What happened? (more on THAT later too!) It was great to see Nancy and Andrea out there cheering us on as we made our way through the loops.

I still have not seen Kerry, but I later learn that is because we were essentially following each other around the requisite loops on the course all morning.

Off the bike, through T2 and out onto the two loop run course. It's a relatively flat and non-descript course except that you do get to come back into the park between laps and get a little pick-me-up from the crowd. As I am coming through the park between my laps I almost run head first into Mala as she is exiting the swim from the Sprint Tri. What are the odds of that? Funny!

Crossing the finish line I see Cory, as expected, already finished and in his sweats. However when I ask him how his day went I just get a sad shake of the head. During the first loop of Cory's swim he was the unlucky recipient of a blow to the jaw by someone's elbow or heel. This hit was so hard that he began to lose his bearings and was forced to have a safety kayak pull him in. As he was regrouping on the shore a race official mentioned to him that they would be okay if he decided to continue on with his race. After considering this for a moment and taking some self-inventory, Cory did decide that he wanted to try to continue. He went back in to the water and completed his swim. Out on the bike he whizzed past me like I rocketship, but not long thereafter he began to get dizzy again and became nauseous. Cory then made the very wise decision to call it a day and bring it on back to the barn. Thank you for giving it your all Cory, and thank you for making the right decision in the end. ONWARD!

Now, where is that Casey?? He should have finished in front of me as he lead me out of T1 and I didn't see him again for the rest of the day. Hmmmmm. Well, as it turns out we are going to need to mount an abacus on Casey's handlebars for next season. He lost track of the bike laps and ended up doing five instead of four. At lease he erred on the high side and no one can call him a cheater, just an over achiever!

Kerry came zooming into the finish with a PR by a long shot. Smooth, strong and steady throughout the entire morning, she has a lot to be proud of on this day. Kerry was using today's race as prep work for the Lake Stevens Half-Ironman. She is ready to go!

The Sprint distance event had Nancy, Desiree and Mala going into the water at 9:30am. Because of their late start time they ended up having to park a pretty long way away from the venue. Des BARELY made it to race on time. Nancy jumped in and helped her get set up then off to the water they ran. Neither one of them bothered to put their wetsuits on, too much time!

As she always does, Desiree flew through the course making it look so easy. Even though she has battled for the last year with her right leg going numb after about the 2 mile mark on the run, she always finishes with a smile giving it 100%. Thanks for the great attitude Des!

Nancy didn't seem to let fact that she hasn't been able to train much get in her way. With her job taking up way too much of her play time lately, she is doing what we like to call "racing to train" where you get the majority of your training done at the races. Maybe we shouldn't tell the rest of her age group that though as they might be mad. She walked away with second place. Congrats Pants!!

Mala, Mala, Mala . . . from the girl that couldn't seem to get herself out of the shallow end of the pool last year, you have come a long way baby. Riding in clipless pedals, running faster than you have ever run and trusting your swimming to overcome some of the anxiety. It was a pleasure and an honor to watch you run across that finish line stronger than ever. Congrats on reaching and surpassing your goals this year!

So this brings us to the end of our "official" season as a Team. We will continue to cheer on our teammates as they compete in Satsop, Lake Stevens, Kirkland and Black Diamond. Additionally we are really looking forward to day of service at the Lake Sammamish Tri in August.

Until next season . . . stay fit, stay healthy and stay positive. We will see you all in March 2010 if not before.