Ironman Boulder 70.3 - August 8, 2010

Ironman Boulder 70.3 Race Report

August 8, 2010

I flew out to Colorado the weekend before the race to make a vacation of it, plus my husband and I have friends and family in the area so we had a free place to stay for the week. It usually takes me about 3 days to acclimate to the altitude there, so it worked out well to go out ahead of time.

I had the opportunity to get in some really beautiful bike rides and runs during my taper week and tagged along on an open water swim with the Boulder Triathlon Club in the reservoir where the race was being held. Everyone out there was so friendly and laid back!

I was more and more nervous as the race approached, worrying that I’d embarrass myself out there on the course, but I knew I put in the work in training and that I could finish the race. I had my very own “Support Crew” – my husband Bryant and my mom, dad and sister Jackie flew out to Colorado for the weekend to watch me race in my first 70.3. I also had countless friends from JSTC pulling for me, my family members, like my sister Jaime, who couldn’t be there but if I listened real hard, I could hear her cheering from 1800 miles away!

On race morning, I woke up at 4:15am to get dressed and have a small breakfast – a packet of oatmeal and ½ a banana. I was so nervous, I couldn’t eat as much as I wanted to. We picked up my parents and my sister at their hotel at 5am and drove over to the reservoir. Transition opened at 5am and we got there by 5:15. Everything went smoothly checking into transition – plenty of volunteers to make the process go smoothly. After getting everything ready in transition I headed over to the beach – tried to eat a power bar but was still too nervous to take much. The Pro wave went off around 6:40am and I was scheduled to go off 40 minutes later in Wave #9. It was amazing to see the first Pro Male, Andy Potts finishing the swim in 23 minutes and change. I got in a practice swim while I was waiting around – the water was 74 degrees which made me happy because I definitely benefit from being able to swim in a wetsuit. The water felt comfortably warm because it was warmer than the air temperature at the start of the race.

The race start was an in-water start and when the gun went off on my wave I was ready to go. I felt good overall during the swim which isn’t my strong point – got swam over and bumped into a couple times during the last 800m where male swimmers from the wave behind me started passing me. No major issues during the swim – exited the water in 43 minutes and change. My goal was 40 minutes so I was happy with 43.

Transition went smoothly and got on the bike feeling pretty good. The first 6-7 miles on each loop of the 2 loop bike course were gradually inclines. It looked flat but I could tell I was working hard to get through it. The bike route was very scenic with the front range of the Rocky Mountains on your left and open space/farmland on your right. I felt good during the bike, taking a salt tab every 15 minutes, sipping on a concentrated CytoMax mix and taking one GU halfway through the bike and another with 6 miles to go. Used the bottle exchange twice to get a bottle of water. The sky was overcast for the first loop of the bike and eventually when the sun broke through it started to get hot. I passed a good amount of people on the bike and also got passed by some of the male racers that started in the waves after me. I was able to finish the bike in 3:01 – my goal was 3:00 or less, so I just about hit my mark there.

Transition from bike to run was much easier than I had expected it to be. I felt pretty good getting started on the run. The run course was also 2 loops around the Boulder Reservoir. Only downside is that it was completely exposed with no shade. Luckily most of the course was on a dirt/crushed stone path, so it wasn’t as bad as running on asphalt. There were some hills on the course to add to the challenge. I knew the run would be the hardest part for me, so I set out with the goal of running 5 minutes and walking 1 minute. I was able to do this for the first 5 miles, then the heat started to really wear me out and then it became more of running 2 minutes, walking 2 minutes. Surprisingly I was passing quite a few people on the 2^nd loop of the run. The course was awesomely staffed with a water/aid station at every mile along the course with Gatorade, water, power bar gel, food – oranges, pretzels, flat Coke, cups of ice and sponges soaked in ice water. I must say that my saving grace in the heat was the cups of ice cubes. I would eat a few, dump a few down the front and back of my shirt and hold the cup while I was running to take an ice cube here and there to munch on. I was so happy to see my dad waiting at the end of the dirt path leading towards the finish line – he was the “lookout” who called down to my mom, sister and husband at the finish to let them know I was heading in. I finished the run in 2:33. I was hoping to finish in 2:20 but was okay with 2:33 considering the heat.

My final official time was 6:23:40. I was super excited to finish my first 70.3 and couldn’t have done it without the expert guidance of my coach Carrie Slavinski from BPC, my husband who let me use our weekend time to train, my parents, my sisters Jackie and Jaime, all my JSTC friends who wished me the best and the rest of my friends, family and co-workers who were supporting me all along the way!

I would definitely recommend this race to anyone who is looking to do a destination 70.3 – the course was beautiful – the volunteers and the support out there was amazing! If you can take a little time to go out and acclimate ahead of time, you’ll be golden!

Jersey Shore Time Trial - 30K - 5/23/10

This 30K time trial was one that I did last year - it went down and back along the main road on Island Beach State Park. This year, it was not pouring rain like it did last year and I was feeling pretty strong on the bike. Finished the 30K in 53 minutes . . . 24 minutes faster than last year!! It was definitely a good day! :)

Jersey Short Multisport's Women's Kick-Off Triathlon 5/15/10

This was the first triathlon of the season for me and the first ever for my sister Jackie! We signed up way back in December and it was a great first race! We swam in the Barnegat Bay and the water felt pretty chilly even with a wetsuit but as soon as the race started, your body warmed up. I had a decent swim, although since it was the first "race swim" I was a little panicked initially - and couldn't get into the bilateral breathing pattern I'd been used to doing in all of my pool swims and had to go back to just breathing on the right side every 2 strokes. Finished the swim in 8:20 for a .33 mile swim. T1 was 1:48 which was decent considering I had to get the wetsuit off. Felt great on the bike finishing 12 miles in 31:38 for an average of 19mph. T2 off the bike was 48 seconds! The run wasn't my strong suit that day and finished the 3.1 miles in 28:20 for an average of 9:18 min/mile. I ended up finishing the race 11th overall and 4th in the 30-34 age group.

Not bad for the first race of the season!!

2010 Broad Street Run

This year, I ran the Broad Street Run with my dad and sister Jaime. It was a hot day for a race and it was one week following the 1/2 Marathon in Nashville but I had signed up for it anyway hoping for a nice day for a stroll down Broad Street. Unfortunately it ended up being the hottest day of the year up to that point - it was 90 degrees as soon as the sun came out. I had ridden my bike from our apartment on North Broad Street down to the stadium - a little over 5 miles and met Jam and Dad in the parking lot. Put my bike in the trunk of my dad's car and we took the subway to the race start. We got there so early, but by the time I got through the porta-john line and the line to put our bag into the bag check it was time to go. Somehow the way they did the wave start with 5 minutes between groups of runners so by the time we started another 1/2 hour had gone by and the heat just kept building. From the start the race was kinda tough for me - my legs just didn't want to move. I kept up with Jam and Dad for the first 5.5 miles then had to back off and do some walking through the water stops to stay hydrated. I saw a lot of runners down on the sides of the road getting medical attention because they weren't smart. When I saw that, I decided that I did not want to end up sick and just took my time finishing safely. I finished in 1:44, a 10:25 min/mile pace which was slower that I had anticipated but given the conditions and the tired legs, I was okay with it. Dad and Jam did awesome and finished around 1:38!!

Country Music 1/2 Marathon - Nashville, TN

This was a great race!!! I ended up going with a friend of a friend, Christie. We were roomates for the trip. I flew to Nashville around 2pm on Friday, the day before the race and just made it to the Race Expo in time to pick up my packet and my number!! We stayed at the Maxwell House Hotel outside of downtown. They really catered to the runners, having a great pasta dinner the night before the race and a shuttle to take us to the race start bright and early! We woke up at 4:00am to catch and early shuttle to the race start. Had a bagel with cream cheese for breakfast and my pre-race drink on the way to the race. We were at the start pretty early and there was a little rain shower beforehand. The race ended up starting early because they were calling for some major thunderstorms to hit later in the morning that day. We got the race started without incident. The course was much hillier than I had expected!! Up and Down, Up and Down, Up and Up and Down . . . neverending! I wasn't really prepared for the hills but tried to battle through the best I could. Finished the race in 2:16 - about a 10:20 min/mile pace.

After the race was the true disaster! We waited forever for our shuttle bus which as it turned out many other people were waiting for too! It was raining and windy with nasty thunderstorms rolling through. Christie and I got tired of standing around, especially after just finishing the race, so us and about 6 or 7 other people who were all staying at our hotel decided to start walking back to the hotel, 3.5 miles away! It was pouring, thunder and lightening and one of the wettest walks home ever! There was flooding on the sidewalks and roadways that we were on trying to get back to the hotel. We got home . .. but I was definitely soaked more than I have possibly ever been.

We got back to the hotel and I stuffed my sneakers with newspaper to help them dry out and then we took a nap to recover!!

On Sunday, the next day we spent time touring Nashville, the outlets and even took a trip out of town to check out a local winery. It wasn't the best wine, but at least we had a picnic amongst some beautiful scenery!

The flight home was relatively uneventful. I'd definitely recommend this race again - it was alot of fun!!

The Path to Homeownership

Bryant and I are in the process of purchasing our first home together. So far we've been lucky in the process in finding the perfect place for both of us - older home, historic, needs some work (what Bryant loves to do) and is in a great neighborhood here in Philadelphia. We are set to close on May 14th! I'm hoping all goes well from here on out!!

Time to start getting excited!

I'm starting to get pretty psyched for this year's race schedule!!!

Just like last year, I have quite a few races on tap, some new ones and some from last year.

Here we go!!!

Saturday, April 24th - Country Music 1/2 Marathon - Nashville, TN

http://nashville.competitor.com/

Sunday, May 2 2010 - Broad S

treet Run (10 miles) - Philadelphia, PA

This is a Philadelphia Classic that I have run

a few times before. This time, I'll be running with my sister Jaime for the full race, Jackie for half the race and meeting my dad at the finish (he always finishes ahead of

time.)

www.broadstreetrun.com

Saturday May 8th 2010 - Open Water Swim Clinic

I participated in a few

of these last year and they were super helpful in acclimating to swimming in open water and practicing some techniques. This time, I'll be meeting my sister Jackie there for her first ever open water swim!!

Saturday May 15th - Jersey Short Kickoff Sprint Triathlon - Bayville (Toms River, NJ) - Women's Race

This will be my first race of the season, and Jackie's first triathlon ever! It's going to be a ton of fun on a great course and it's always fun to participate in an all ladies' event.

www.jsmultisport.com

June 20, 2010 - LavaMan Sprint Triathlon

www.jsmultisport.com

This is another great race put on by Jersey Short Multisport, a sprint distance race that will be a first-time race for me. Can't wait!

Sunday July 25, 2010 - New Jersey State Triathlon - Mercer County State Park

http://www.cgiracing.com/2009Events/NewJerseyStateTri.aspx

I did this race last year and had a great time and it was my second Olympic Distance race. I was happy to be allowed to wear my wetsuit last year and hopefully it will be the same this year!

And . . . . now for the grand finale race of the Triathlon Season!!

Sunday August 8, 2010 - Ironman 70.3 Boulder - Boulder, CO

This is the big race for me this year . . . I'm nervous at this point, but feeling pretty confident that I can do it. I have a great support system b

ehind me with my family, friends, coach and tri club all there to support me. I couldn't do it without them!!

Here's a shout out to Brielle Performance Center and my Coach, Carrie Slavinski

I am still waiting to see if I get into the NYC Marathon via the lottery tomorrow, on April 7th, so I will post as soon as I know. If I don't get in with the lottery I will probably do the Marine Corps Marathon again :)

Skiing!!

(L) Glenwood Springs Hot Springs Pool! Best place to relax at night after skiing!

Here I am looking slow on the ski slopes!

I had my first ever skiing experience in Colorado at Sunlight Mountain. We went up to Glenwood Springs for 3 nights and went skiing 2 of the days. Once I got myself a pair of ski boots and borrowed skis, goggles and helmet we headed to the mountain. Since Bryant doesn't have the patience for teaching me to ski, we purchased a group lesson which ended up being a private lesson. I had an amazing teacher and I caught on fairly quickly on how to shift my body weight for turns, how to stop and most importantly how to stay upright! I had a great time - but even on the green hills I had my fair share of wipeouts! Good thing Bry was there to 'rescue' me a few times! Even though my first day was rough, I felt pretty good overall. So much so that we bought tickets for a second day the following day and ended up going back! I did even better on Day 2 with the exception of Bryant taking me on one of the 'blue' trails by mistake. I ended up sliding down half of a steep hill on my bottom and running down the rest of the way!! Overall it was an amazing time and I couldn't have been happier and luckier to have the husband I have!!

Frozen Foot 5K

Well, this was my first race back after doing the Marine Corps Marathon back in October. I took the rest of the fall/winter to hone in on my strength training and interval running and cycling workouts. I ran this race on the campus of Colorado University's Boulder campus in Boulder, CO. Bryant and I were in Colorado for a winter vacation to include some time at my favorite place - the hot springs at Glenwood Springs and my first skiing experience at Sunlight Mountain!

The 5K was fun and probably one of the first 5K's that I have done in a long time. Overall it was a fun race, small field of runners but that's to be expected when it's about 20 degrees and there is snow and ice on the ground (the race definitely lived up to it's name!) I ran the race in 29:32 for an average pace of 9:30 min/mile. Not too bad considering the conditions. I was definitely starting to get winded halfway through - I'd only had 2 days to adjust to the altitude. I made a mental note that when I come back for the half-ironman in August that I give myself plenty of time to acclimate to the altitude.

My wonderful husband came out with me in the cold and snow and took the pictures above!

My New Triathlon Ride

I finally decided to go for it and purchase my "dream bike" this weekend. I got the Cervelo P2 triathlon bike. Now, when I show up to a triathlon, people are going to expect me to be fast! I guess that means I need to start working my ass off in this off-season to make that happen :) I'm so happy and excited already! I'll pick it up on December 28th after I have it fit! Can't wait already - this is my Christmas gift to myself this year and for the next several years! haha. I have to thank my most supportive fiance who convinced me to "just get it".

Marine Corps Marathon 10.25.09

Me approaching Mom and Bry between 18 and 19!

Dad approaching Mom & Bryant between 18-19 looking like a pro!

Taking a break with Bry around mile 18.5! Just the motivation I needed to continue!

I signed up for the 34th running of the Marine Corps Marathon on April 1st of this year with my dad, sister Jackie and co-worker and friend Kara. Training for this race was mixed in with triathlon training and racing all summer. This race was designed to be my season-ender and topper and turned out to be just that.

We arrived in Washington D.C. on Friday night and stayed in Metro Center close to Chinatown and the Convention Center. We ate dinner at the Capitol Brewery - I enjoyed some great white pizza and pumpkin beer. Ended up going to bed pretty early that evening which worked out well.

On Saturday, my parents arrived to D.C. from Baltimore and we met them at the hotel before going to the Convention Center for the Expo. The expo itself was an experience. It was very well run and efficient to check in but it got a little crowded on the floor around the exhibits. We walked around the mall and hit the National Art Museum. We stayed at a hotel which had a kitchen in our suite, so my mom and I went shopping to get the needed ingredients for a pasta dinner. We cooked a great pre-race carbo loading dinner which worked out perfectly since it was humid, raining and windy outside. After dinner we walked down to the Capitol Building since we were really close and took some nice night pictures. Bryant and Mom continued on to tour some of the other monuments while dad and I headed back to the hotel to prepare for race morning and get ready for bed.

Race morning I woke up at 5:15 to get dressed and start my breakfast which consisted of spaghetti from the night before with some parm cheese. I drank some gatorated and water as well. I packed everything for my race check bag, including my pre-race sports drink. We met at 5:55 to go and catch the Metro to the race start. We didn't have to wait too long for the train to the start. Once we arrived at the start area it was still pitch black outside. We made a few stops at the port-o-potties and continued our pre-race hydration. We walked at least a 1/2 mile to the area where the bag check was. When we got there we got rid of our long sleeve shirts. I decided to wear shorts, a tank top and arm-warmers. It was chilly at the start (about 50 degrees) but was forecast to warm up to the low 60s by the time the race ended.

The start area was alive with static electricity. There were so many people around the start! The introductions were great and the fly-over by the military planes was breathtaking. I was pretty nervous at the start thinking "what have I gotten myself into" and "how the heck am I going to run 26.2 miles?!?"

It took me about 10 minutes to get to the start from where I was lined up. The first 8 miles of the course were pretty hilly which was not expected! I saw the topographical map of the race which showed a 160ft elevation gain over the first 8 miles and thought "that's not much at all" but let me tell you there were a few tough hills for sure. Luckily I made a friend on the course that I could talk with for that period of time which kept my mind off the course. I lost her around mile 9 or 10 when she started to fade. The course was great around the Georgetown Reservoir and through Georgetown itself. Running along the Potomac and East & West Potomac Park was also great. The weather was perfect! I was glad I kept my arm warmers throughout the race because the breeze was cool at times. From the park we started to run along the mall. Beautiful with tons of spectator support! This is where I caught Bryant and Mom with the diet coke. I took a minute or two to hang out with them and stretch between mile 18 and 19. This was enough encouragement to continue the race! The last 10K was definitely a challenge for me. Beating the bridge was rough and running through Crystal City was kinda boring but with each mile I knew I was closer to the finish. I felt great cardiovascularly and nutritionally but orthopedically, my feet were killing me - especially my right ankle an foot. I stuck it out though as we reached mile 24 and 25 around the Pentagon and when I heard the music around mile 25, I started to really try and push my way to the finish. Running up the final incline towards the finish was awesome! I finished in 4 hours and 44 minutes. This ended up being a 41 minute PR for me. I finished my first marathon in January of 2005 in Carlsbad, CA in 5:25! I was excited to get my medal from a Marine at the finish. I felt good overall. It took me about an hour to find my dad in the finisher's area afterwards. He finished in 4:29 :)

It took a really long time to get to the hotel after the race because my dad wasn't feeling well after the race and there was a huge crowd to get into the Metro station to catch the train to the hotel. Once we got back, my parents headed back to New Jersey and Bryant and I headed back to our hotel for Sunday night. We walked to dinner in Georgetown which actually made the sore legs and feet feel better. I took a brief nap before the Yankees-Angels game came on. They won and clinched their berth to the World Series! Perfect end to a great day!

We headed home on Monday and I was feeling good physically but tired in general. I slept most of the ride home to Philly and took another nap when we got home.

I felt good all week and treated myself to a sports massage on Wednesday evening. It really helped stretch out my sore hamstrings and tight IT band! Definitely worth it as part of the post-race recovery phase. I went back to the gym cross-training workouts Wednesday and Friday. Felt pretty good overall!

This was an overall great experience for me! Now, its the "off-season" for me which will include focusing on the swimming again, building up some cycling miles and spending time at Fusion and the Lithe Method. I'll be working hard towards looking good at my wedding on January 30, 2010!

Thank you to everyone who has supported me through this whole challenging triathlon and racing season! This marathon was the perfect end to the season! I'm hoping to do it again next year with my sisters running along with me :)

ING Philadelphia Distance Run

Today I ran the Philadelphia Distance Run which is a 1/2 marathon distance run. I ran 4 miles with dad before the race to make it a long training run towards the Marine Corps Marathon on 10/25/09. In total, including the race, distance before and after I ran 18 miles. I finished the race in 2:12:30 which is a 2min, 30 second PR for me. It was a perfect day weather-wise and there were a ton of people on the course for the whole run. I was happy with it and am feeling good after the race! :)

Now, onward with the training for the marathon :)

- Kel

The Nation's Triathlon - Washington DC 9.13.09

I signed up for this race way back in December as a 'destination' race. I didn't realize that by the time the race sold out they had 6,000 people registered. They had about 4,000 finishers so I guess you lose some amount of people to injury, etc.

Pre-Race:

The race was Sunday, September 13th. We arrived in Washington, D.C. on Friday, late morning. The race expo started at 12:00 on Friday, so we decided to head over around 1:00. They have a mandatory pre-race meeting that every athlete must attend. I just missed the 1:00 meeting so I had to wait for the 1:30 meeting. Nothing too earth-shattering was discussed at the meeting but they made it mandatory and your hand stamp was necessary before moving on to the next stop where you picked up your packet with your numbers and your swim cap. From there you moved on to get your t-shirt and your goodie bag.

Saturday:

Mandatory bike racking at the transition area which was located separate from the expo (at a hotel). They also had the opportunity for a practice swim in the Potomac river from 1-4pm. I didn't take advantage of it because I had run 7 miles that morning and wanted to take it easy from that point on.

Sunday/Race Day - Transition opens at 5:00am and closes at 6:45 for the first wave to go off at 7:00am. I got there around 5:50 and went straight to my bike and set up the rest of the transition, got suited up halfway in the wetsuit (water temp was 72 degrees) and checked an extra bag with dry clothes in gear check for after the race (did this because it was recommended at the pre-race meeting as they SLOWLY opened transition starting at 10:30 am for people to start getting their stuff). I stood on line for the Port-o-Johns and still had about 45 minutes before my wave went off at 7:48. Weather for race day was mid to upper 60s at the start of the race and low 70s by the finish - it was sunny and just a beautiful day! Also, this race benefitted the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society so there was a ton of Team-In-Training people out there participating, volunteering and cheering everyone on - very nice!!

SWIM:

Single loop 1.5K course - pretty crowded waves just because of the large field. I thought there was a pretty long distance to the first buoy so it was tough to sight where we were headed. We swam out and underneath a bridge, past the bridge about 300 yards and then turned around to head back. I got kicked in the face going around that first buoy but not bad enough to lose the goggles or anything! I felt like I was swimming at a decent pace, but turns out it took me 35:41 which was about a minute slower than my time at NJ State Tri in July. The current was noticeable on the "out" part of the swim but not too overwhelming.

T1:

This took 3:04 which I am not completely surprised about because the transition area was 240,000 square feet and it was a long distance to the "bike out" area.

BIKE:

This was a nice course - went out on a 5 mile loop and then a 20 mile loop. Roads were in decent condition, on the 20 mile loop (10 out and 10 back) the 10 miles out were on an incline and I felt like I was just struggling to maintain a decent speed and just thought my legs were tired. I realized after the turnaround that I had been climbing most of that 10 miles - gradual incline. The 10 miles back was much faster because I had the decline working in my h There were a good amount of volunteers and spectators for most of the bike course. Overall the bike took me 1:21:51 for an average of 18.2 mph which was about 7 minutes slower than my race at NJ State.

T2: 2:25 - this was "slow" again because of the long run from the "bike in" to my area of transition. I was close to the "run out" though :)

RUN: Nice 10K course along the Potomac River, around the Jefferson Memorial, around the Lincoln Memorial, over the bridge towards Arlington where you turned around and headed back towards the Jefferson Memorial and on to the finish. Decent amount of shade on the course and mostly flat. They had an aid station about 1/10th of a mile after every mile marker which was great. Total run time was 59:40 (9:38 pace) with some periods of walking. My legs just felt tired about 3 miles into the run.

Total time: 3:02:40 - not my best time and not my worst. I was happy with finishing especially since I had the flu for a full week before this race and was just starting to feel back to normal.

Now, it's on to finish training for the Marine Corps Marathon on 10/25, then finally some relaxation!!! :)

- Kel

We're Engaged!

Bryant asked me to marry him! yay! We are in Colorado for the week on vacation and went for a 2 day retreat up in Glen Haven which is right outside Estes Park. He asked as we were stargazing :) I don't think I have seen so many stars in my life! We are both very excited! We don't have any definite plans yet for when or where we're getting married, but we figure we'll enjoy the engagement for a little bit and then figure it out! :)

Tri Babes Sprint Triathlon. Longmont, CO 8.23.09

I signed up for this race a couple weeks ago when we decided that we would be spending a week in Colorado. It was an all-women's Sprint Triathlon in Longmont, CO.

Here are the results:

KELLY KUNTZ
60/270 overall
F30-34 15/56
Total - 1:24:20
Swim (1/2 mi): 14:38
T1 - 1:48 (couldn't find my bike!)
Bike (12.5 mi) 37:26 (19.9 mph)
T2 - 1:42 (couldn't find my stuff, again!)

Run - 28:49 (9:18 min/mi)

I really enjoyed this race - the swim was wetsuit legal, so I took advantage of it and wore the wetsuit. Felt good during the swim after I got into a rhythm. Transition was tough, they had different bike racks and I had a hard time finding my bike because everything looked the same and there were no numbered racks or any order to how they were placed. Felt strong on the bike which was a 3 loop course. The run was pretty but mostly on dirt. Wish I knew that - I would have brought my regular running shoes rather than use my race shoes. There was a killer uphill and the course was all in the sun. I definitely needed to take a few walk breaks - not sure if it was the altitude getting to me or just general fatigue, but I still managed a decent run pace.

It was nice to have Bryant and his parents as spectators today. It was fun racing outside of the tri-state area and I'm feeling more confident with each race. There's only one more race for this season - the Nation's Triathlon in Washington DC on September 13th!

SheRox Sprint Duathlon

No photos yet, but here are my results:

Clock Time
01:37:36

Run 1:
00:11:38 (7:44/mile pace)

Trans1:
00:02:27

Bike:
00:54:50 (17.2mph)

Trans2:
00:01:31

Run2:
00:27:07 (8:44/mile pace)

Let's just say we should have called it a day when we got out of bed this morning. Driving to the race the skies looked ominous and the humidity was 100% - the air was thick. Kacy and I wondered if rain would hold off long enough to still make this race a triathlon. We got to the race site around 6:15am, secured a good parking spot for an easy entrance/exit and headed to transition. As we walked to transition, the skies opened up and we got soaked before we even walked down the hill on Black Rd. to get to transition. Body marking was a challenge because we were already wet. Luckily Kacy had her towel handy to dry off the arms and legs.
As we entered transition, they were announcing that they were still planning on going ahead with the race as a triathlon. As time went on and thunder boomed in the distance, they had to reconsider the decision and after a good 1/2 hour to 45 minute delay the race officials decided to cancel the swim because of the current and the amount of debris floating in the river. The race was now going to be a duathlon. I had mixed feelings about this . . . but knew the swim would have been brutal.

Run 1 (1.5 miles):
Kacy and I were in Wave 12 which ended up going off at 9:45am which was just about an hour delay from when we would have originally started. The first run was fine - it was humid, but not raining. The street was a little slippery from the earlier rain, but I was able to keep a fairly brisk pace for the run. Entered transition at 11:38.

T1:
Took me 2:27 which I was a little surprised about . . . but I think it was because my bike rack was at the far end of transition so it was a long run to the "bike out" timing mount.

Bike (15.5 miles):

Mounting the bike went off without incident. Started out averaging around 19mph and passing alot of people along the way. As the bike went on, the rain started again . . . along with thunder and some lightening now. The course was nice with only two significant uphills and a few downhills; however, the course was very slippery and dangerous. I saw a couple really nasty wrecks - 2 women with c-collars placed by paramedics on the scene. That definitely slowed me down because I didn't want that to be me on one of the downhills. One of those times that you say to yourself "is it really worth it to push hard, right now?" The safety answer was no . . . so my bike speed definitely was slower than I could have done if conditions were better.

T2:
1:31

This transition was quicker. Ran to the bike rack, took off the bike shoes, helmet and sunglasses, slipped on the running shoes, grabbed the water bottle and took off. Felt good running out through transition.

Run 2 (3.1miles):

This run was great for about the first mile and a half, at which point you could see some really nasty clouds in the distance, towards the finish. Scary and very close lightening along with deafening thunder precluded the most torrential downpour I have seen in a LONG time. Just as you thought it couldn't rain any harder, it just kept intensifying - I had to keep wiping my eyes because I couldn't see through all the rain pelting my face. Luckily I was able to run all the way through and finish the race. Unfortunately for Kacy and MANY other athletes out there, they cancelled the race while I was out on the run - people who were biking had to stop and people out on the run had to turn around wherever they were at that point. Honestly, the only thing that got me through it was the adrenaline from my 'fight or flight" response - I wanted to make sure I didn't get struck by lightening!

Post-Race-

Going back into transition after the race was another disaster. It was still downpouring rain and the transition area was flooded under 3-4" of water. I didn't lose any of my equipment but my bag was soaked as were my towels that had rested on the ground. I decided it wasn't worth keeping the towels because they were submerged in muddy flood waters and weighed about 50 pounds! Nothing else was lost, but I was super soaked. The post-race celebration was cancelled as were the awards. The priority of the race directors was getting people off the race course and on their way home as fast as possible. I give them credit for trying to keep things calm and organized under very bad conditions!
We headed back to the car and racked the bikes and headed home. Some of the local roads were floooded on the drive back, but luckily I figured a way around them.
On the way home as Kacy and I were debating our sanity for sticking with it during the race I said "There is a thin line between being brave and being stupid . . . I think we were pretty stupid today." Kacy agreed.
If nothing else, it was yet another adventure and learning experience. Hoping for better luck next year!

New Jersey State Triathlon - Olympic Distance 7.26.09

Here is my race report for the 2009 New Jersey State Olympic Distance Triathlon which took place on Sunday July 26th. This is race #2 out of 3 consecutive race weekends. I went into this race looking to beat my time from the Philadelphia Insurance Triathlon which I competed in on June 28th by 1 second. My time for that race was 3:05.

Pre Race:

Great setup by the Jersey Shore Triathlon Club with a tent and an RV. The RV was awesome for the simple fact that it allowed me to avoid using the (overused) port-o-johns on the race site. Downside here was that we had to arrive at 6:00am to set up in transition and my wave was the second-to-last to start the Olympic at 9:15am. So, just some waiting around, but it ended up being well worth it.

Swim (0.9 miles):

The swim was in the lake at Mercer County Park, 0.9 mile. Seemed like forever! The race was just barely wetsuit legal, so I took advantage and wore the wetsuit for the swim. I felt a little overheated at times but I think the suit helped out with that distance of a swim. Finished the swim in about 34 minutes which I was happy with, but I know that maybe someday I'll speed up on the swim.

Bike(23miles):

Transition from swim to bike was about 2 minutes which I was cool with - able to get the wetsuit off pretty quickly, put on the helmet and sunglasses, slipped into the bike shoes and took off. Practicing mounting the bike with Bryant the night before definitely paid off today! I was able to average about 18.9 mph on the bike which I was thrilled with.

Run (6.2miles):

This run felt pretty brutal because it got pretty hot by the time I was out on the course. The first 5K was mostly flat and shaded with an awesome water stop with frozen washcloths! Felt so good! The second 5K was rough - HOT!!! Honestly, I felt like I walked more than I ran during these 6.2 miles but somehow was able to average a 9:50 pace

I finished in 2:53:32 which beat my PR for the Olympic Distance by 12 minutes!!! So happy and excited all at once.

I'm really enjoying this triathlon thing and having a great time :) I am lucky to have Bryant as my support crew! He got up at 4:50am just like I did so that means alot in my book!

Next race:

SheRox Sprint Triathlon in Philadelphia, PA on 8.2.09 - cannot wait for this one! It should be a ton of fun and Kacy is racing too, so that's icing on the cake! :)

- Kel

Sunset Challenge Sprint Tri - Bridgeton, NJ - 7.18.09

Race Report for the Sunset Challenge Sprint Triathlon

Bridgeton, NJ

07.18.09

Swim was great! No wetsuits were allowed because the water was 82 degrees. This made me a little nervous at first because this would be my first open water swim without a wetsuit, but I did a little practice swim before the

start and felt okay. Definitely a little more work than with the wetsuit, but manageable. The water itself was decent - there were a few patches where you had to swim through some thick seaweed, but I made it through this time without freaking out. The swim felt good overall and I was out of the water in about 18 minutes.

Transition took about 2 minutes from swim to bike. I always seem to be a little shaky clipping into my pedals before I get going. The 16 mile course was very scenic through horse farms

, fields and neighborhoods. The roads were in decent conditions and there weren't any major hills. In fact, I didn't have to get out of the saddle even on the biggest one. Only downside was that there was a headwind for most of the course. I ended up averaging 17.3 mph and finished the bike in 55 minutes and change.

Transition from bike to run was about 2 minutes. The run was actually alot of fun - most of it was on a trail/towpath with part of it through a grassy field and some street running. I felt decent on the run but had to take some quick walk breaks through the water stops. I ended up finishing the run in 27:55 for a 9:00 min/mi pace which I was happy with.

My total finish time for the race was 1:45:55 which was good enough for 1st place in the Athena division (females 150lb and over) which is the equivalent of the male's Clydesdale division.

I stuck around for the post-race food and awards ceremony. The food was great! The Bridgeton Exchange Club made some excellent pasta salads and there was a great spread of Jersey Fresh fruit - peaches, bananas and amazing blueberries!

Bryant was a real trooper - he woke up with me at 4:30 to leave for the race and stuck around with me for the whole thing. I can't say enough how awesome it is to have him come watch me race and to be my support crew! I wouldn't trade him for the world! :)

Next up is the New Jersey State Triathlon next Sunday - Olympic Distance! Going to try to beat my time from the Philly Insurance Tri which was 3:05 - even if that means I finish in 3:04:59!

- Kel

Nutrition!

So back in April, I decided to consult with a nutritionist who works with all populations but who has a wealth of knowledge working with athletes. His name is Tom Bilella and I attended a lecture he presented to the Jersey Shore Triathlon Club in March. I've known all along that nutrition was a missing link in my training ever since I started getting into this running and triathlon thing. I decided to take the first step and consult with Tom early in April. Without going into the nitty-gritty details my body composition testing showed that my body age was in the 50's!! And here I thought I was at least in decent shape. I'm happy to report that in 3 months of following an individualized program, I have lost a total of 9 pounds, lost 7 pounds of fat and gained 3 pounds of muscle and lost 3% of my body fat :) I highly recommend Tom and the people at Nutrition Treatment Center in Red Bank, NJ if you have any desire to address how nutrition effects your everyday life!  - Kel 

www.nutritiontreatmentcenter.com

Gonna try to pick up the pace!

So, I signed up for a running technique class in hopes of picking up the pace a bit for both triathlon and as part of my marathon training for the Marine Corps Marathon in October. It is going to be a lot of track work which I am looking forward to but at the same time dreading because I usually hate running on the track! Hopefully I'll learn something in the process and get some rewards by running at a faster pace!!! I'll keep you up to date :)