Paging Dr. Leo Marvin - Devil's Challenge Race Report

photos: Ken and the boys ate breakfast by the lake. Me - go time! It started raining during my swim. I was in wave 10 of 12.

You can't control the weather. You can control how you respond to the weather and train to improve your performance in various weather conditions. This last weekend, during my last sprint tri of the season, it rained.

I'm happy to swim and run in the rain, it's fun. I'm working to enjoy riding in the rain. I've trained and raced in the rain, cold, heat and wind. The previous weekend it rained during my fourth tri. That bike course is flat with long straight stretches and I'm comfortable holding a strong pace in a straight line in the rain.

photos: This is me on my hotwheel and me on my two-wheeler next to the annoying next-door neighbor kid. These are the faces I'd like to make while riding my bike in any weather condition.

I'm working on the downhills. The Devil's Challenge Triathlon is known for its challenging bike course filled with climbs, descents and turns. Throw in rain, cars on course and gravel, and I'm using every mental trick I can to stay relaxed and in control.

Like Bob Wiley's fish Gil, it's easy for me to get all locked up inside. I had two moments of pure panic on the bike course, I recovered but chose to let go of my bike time and finish without the screaming wet downhill pace. I climbed each hill and felt stronger technically and physically on the uphills but my overall bike time was several minutes slower than the previous year because I let go of the free speed the downhills deliver. It's where I'm at. And, as a triathlete I see value in the big and little moments training and racing, not value based only on finish time.

Great things did happen:

- I had my fastest OWS (shore at 8:26, timing mat at 8:50) and caught up to the slower men from the wave in front of me.

- I had the fastest T1 and T2 of the Athena category (any woman over 145 pounds can register for Athena)!

- I cut over five minutes off my run time! I spend the least time running this year. I do strength and agility run work, but have focused instead on the swim and bike segments.

DCT 2009 swim: 9:57, T1: 2:58, bike: 1:10:37, T2: 1:49, run: 33:12. Overall: 1:58:30.

DCT 2010 swim: 8:50, T1: 2:20, bike: 1:14:41, T2: 1:20, run: 28:00. Overall: 1:55:09.


photos: my wave enters. Ken caught me moving in T1. Bike dismount line.

photos: The muddy path to transition. The timing mat for T2 (notice the huge mud puddle right before the mat.) Me early on the run course, I like the crazy look my foot has in the picture.


photos: I'm the second woman in this picture chasing the lady in front of me. I caught her right before the chute and Ken therefore missed me in the picture, you can see a silver of my bottom and my shoe right next to the right edge.


photos: Leaves are changing. Cute hay bales. A drizzly day.

Questions for You:
- What About Bob? is one of my favorite movies. What's your favorite line?

- What are your tips for cycling in the rain?

What About Bob? trailer
http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi971112729/

What About Bob? the dinner scene. I eat corn on the cob like this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KvVKFCP5cCA

What About Bob? quotes
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103241/quotes

My First Tri: Sept 1995

Fifteen years ago my boyfriend Ken (now husband) suggested we train for a sprint triathlon. He’d done one already. He’d signed up after hearing a radio ad, he thought it sounded cool. Already a fit college-level athlete I said, sure, let’s do it.

We’d race weeks later at the Devil’s Challenge, a sprint triathlon held at Devil’s Lake State Park, Baraboo, Wis. Back then we mailed our registrations, no online signup. We didn’t officially train. I didn’t read triathlon books, blogs or forums or think much about race day. To train we pumped up our tires and wiped the bike frames with Pledge.

Race day arrived; it was also my birthday. Ken picked me up while it was dark and moments later he was on his knee proposing—I said yes! I’d have a funny combination of nerves and extreme joy fueling me through my first triathlon. We raced together to celebrate our engagement and our families came to cheer. To me their support meant “we love you and believe in you.”

Race registration was easy and getting body-marked was cool! The cute volunteer wrote my race number in black Sharpie on my arm, quad and calf. I now love the smell of Sharpie on race morning! photo credit: my parents. I pieced 2 pictures together, we were in different waves.

I wore a two-piece Speedo for the swim. I stretched a little on shore, but didn’t get in the water until it was time for my wave to start. I started in the back of my group of swimmers and eased into the water, taking my time walking out a bit feeling the mucky mud under my feet. Once I felt it was deep enough I did five strokes of freestyle, forgot to breathe, swallowed water and then switched to the breast-stroke for good.

Before I’d reached the first buoy I ran into a whole pack of ladies floating on their backs. I heard a confident woman saying, “If you need a break, just flip over and rest.” I kept going wondering when the next wave of swimmers would catch me. (Waves typically start every 1-3 minutes depending on the event size.)

I caught some swimmers and the rest caught me. I was surprised to learn swimming is a contact sport. Other athletes passed, kicked and scratched me and I drank lake water, icky. The swim was a quarter mile but it felt longer. To my right I could see volunteer kayakers and lifeguards lining the outside of the course.

My goggles fogged up and one side leaked, so I swam with one eye shut. Doing the breast-stroke was slower than freestyle, but it was easy for me to keep the course markers in sight. I was almost to that turn buoy, finally, then a short stretch to shore. Ken was waiting for me by the shore (he was in an earlier swim wave), so we could do the rest of the race together.

Like a toddler learning to walk, I stumbled to my feet across the rocky shallows. Ken and I went to our bike stall (the race didn’t have bike racks back then so we had parking spots for our transition areas.)

I whipped on a cotton t-shirt and pulled on spandex shorts over my wet swimsuit, snapped my helmet, put on socks and tennis shoes and we were ready, quick transition. My swim + transition 1 (T1) together took 10 minutes, 12 seconds. photo credit: my parents. T2!

Then Ken and I were off for a 15-mile bike on country roads outside the State Park. This old course took us on some busier roads and threw in a few climbs. Not far into my bike segment we heard a woman moaning. We couldn’t see her yet but her bellow echoed up the valley. When we passed by it looked like she’d broken her arm or elbow. How awful, I bit my lip and felt like crying.

Some of the bike miles were boring. Rowing gave me strong legs and helped condition my bottom to sitting, but my bike seat was uncomfortable. Remember, I didn't train! Fortunately, the weather was sunny yet cool, a gorgeous day for racing.

Ken encouraged me up the last long and steady climb into the State Park. I got a glimpse of what he’d be like down the road as my labor coach. His coaching style worked for me, it was easy to respond but what I really needed was a lesson on shifting and climbing.

Many athletes walked their bikes up that hill, but we kept going. I wasn’t going much faster than the walkers; I expected they might pass me later on. Then we had a short curvy downhill on our way to transition 2 (T2). I rode the brakes most of the way down. Again, since there were no bike racks, we got off our bikes, laid them down, took off our helmets and left for the run. Our 15-mile bike and transition took 1:02:44.

The 3.2-mile run was partly off-road on a State Park trail with ups and downs and weird tree branches, stones and railroad tracks to cross. The rest of the route was on walking paths or roads. As a rower, I could run, even during the last segment of a triathlon I didn’t properly train for.

Back then I was faster than Ken so I led the run segment. We passed more people on the run than on the bike, which was fun. And the other athletes were nice, even when being passed. That impressed me, what a cool sport. Triathlon’s easy camaraderie and sense of fun had me at hello—I’d be back to race again.

There was water setup like a Kool-Aid stand at the turnaround and we grabbed a paper cup. The run doubled back, we were almost done! I was most comfortable on the run, I liked being on my feet, it felt sturdier. Sure, I could easily have a Bella moment and trip, but the danger seemed less threatening on the run vs. the bike or swim.
photo credit: my parents. The finish!

The finish chute was on grass, nice and safe. We held hands and crossed together. Our run time was 30:53 and the race overall took 1:43:49. An incredible day, my birthday, a proposal and my first triathlon! What next? I could do anything.

photo credit: my parents. We went out to lunch to celebrate my birthday, the race and our engagement. I had a special tri-theme cake. I ordered a plain chef salad & I remember the waitress asking, "you don't want no meat?" It still makes me laugh.

Questions for You:
- Do you like Sharpie smell?
- What was the easiest part of your first tri?

- Link me to your "first tri" post or race report, I'd love to read it.

On Topic:
Your First Triathlon
Things I Wish I Knew as a New Triathlete
What NOT to Say on Race Morning

Check it Off - Your Tri Race Day Checklist
Race Report - Devil's Challenge Triathlon

Race Report: Devil's Challenge Triathlon

Fourteen years ago my hubby and I got engaged before racing my first triathlon -- The Devil's Challenge, Baraboo, Wis. Ken and I raced together (he waited for my swim wave to catch his.). After crossing my first finish line, I knew I was in love - with Ken (of course) and with triathlon.
photo: Ken & I 14 years ago on our mountain bikes at Devil's Challenge. It was also my birthday.

Devil's Lake State Park provides a challenging but beautiful venue for a late season Wisconsin race! The triathlon is part of the Wisconsin Triathlon Series.

photos: Left- Ken took this while playing with the kids during my race. center- end of the swim. right- starting the bike.

Over the years, we've come back several times and have brought friends and family with us. Last weekend, we drove over for another, but I'd be the only one racing this year. Lucky me! It was a bizarre event this time:
- The water was shallow this year, so I picked up all sorts of weedy trailers during my swim.
- Right before the bike mount line, I saw my visor. It was riding along on my clipless pedal...
- I started my bike at 23+ mph, and slammed right into the long steep hills. Ouch. The hills hurt. One of the race directors told me a CAT 1 cyclist did the bike in ~43 minutes. It's challenging. I hope to improve next year.
- I got pinched twice by cars. Once by a RR track and once coming down a hill into the park.
- I felt best about the run. I've been working on my lean and turnover and felt the run went well.
- For the first time, I won an award. I got third in Athena. And while we were still on site, I missed the awards ceremony because I had no clue I'd placed. The race director let me pick up my award post-race -- yippee!

photos: left: me on the run wearing my SUGOI Velocity tri shorts. I wear these shorts everywhere! I was so fast Ken blurred the photo. center - Dad & I post race. right- my 3rd place award.

It was a great day for racing! Thanks again Wisconsin Triathlon Series!

Question for you:

Have you celebrated a birthday, anniversary or special occasion with a race?