Colonial Beach Triathlon: This Water Looks Questionable

This past weekend I had the chance to get back into the Olympic distance of racing which I had been lacking for three months.  I headed on down to Colonial Beach to participate in the Colonial Beach Triathlon. I slowly have been getting back into getting longer and stronger workouts in so this would be a good way to measure how everything was going.

Colonial Beach is located right along the Potomac River.  The town is very different than the style of living I have experienced in the DC area and also different than back in Iowa.  The town was pretty secluded from everything and a lot of residents used golf carts to travel around more than actual vehicles.  The boardwalk seemed to have the potential to be more lively than it was but most of the shops were a little out of date.

Fun Fact: Somebody caught a bull shark right off the pier where I was swimming the day before. Just a great way to make a midwesterner feel REALLY comfortable swimming.

Race morning came early (3:30 am) and I got up and ready.  Jessie and I made our way to the course which included her getting worried we wouldn't make it to the race so we had to stop and fill up with gas at 5 in the morning.  I got everything set up and decided not to do a bike warm-up and instead just do a longer run and some dynamic stretching.

Trying to be more normal with my traditional pre-race selfie.

This would be my first experience swimming in a body of water that was actually connected directly to an ocean.  This race was also warm enough that wetsuits were not allowed. Of all the water I have ever swam in, it was the dirtiest. This may have been a good thing for me. The water was salt water which made me worried if I accidentally took a mouthful.  Before the race we were encouraged to sight further away from the actual course due to the current would pull us to where we needed to be. I got myself lined up and composed for the start of the race.

There was a little contact at the start of the swim but nothing too bad.  I began working my way out in the open while trying to best synchronize my stroke and the waves.  I looked over and saw that there was about ten yards to my side between me and the group of swimmers and within the next time I turned sideways I was right next to them.  The current may not have been noticeable but it was still moving me around.

As I made my way around the first buoy I got in a draft behind two swimmers.  I caught a quick rest and then surged past them.  I noticed a few swimmers ahead of them and made it a goal to catch up to them.  Sighting was a major issue as I had absolutely no idea where I was heading.  I would look up one time and see some feet ten yards ahead of me and then the next time I look up I would see a wave about to crash into my face.  Surprisingly for not having a lot of experience swimming in these conditions I did fairly well.  Talking to other racers afterwards they all did not like the swim but I felt it wasn't too bad.  This likely was due to the fact that I went into it knowing it would be a mess.

When we reached the halfway point of the swim I had caught onto the back of the swimmer ahead of me.  I used him to keep pace for the rest of the swim.  The way back didn't have the waves but we were swimming against the current so it seemed like forever before we actually got back.  Somewhere on the back half I did take a mouthful of saltwater but didn't swallow it.  During the second half of the swim I noticed that both my top and bottoms were feeling as though they were three sizes too big and had a giant bubble of air causing them to float.  For some reason this was a serious concern. I made my way to the beach and got up and running.

Transition was quick without the wetsuit.  I got my helmet on and out to the bike.  As we exited transition there was a trail of gravel to run on or a small portion of grass on the side if you were doing a flying mount.  Being as I try to look as cool as possible I wasn't wearing shoes so I had to settle into a slow trot behind the person in front of me because I couldn't pass him without running on the gravel.  I got to the mount line and off onto the bike.

The bike course was mentioned to be flat at the beginning and then challenging as we got towards the turnaround.  I got to work right away finding a comfortable gear as I made my way out.  Using my experience from my previous race, I checked my brakes earlier in the morning so I knew nothing would be rubbing and be more aware of whether I was riding uphill or not.  Another rider quickly passed me and I kept within striking distance of him as we made our way out. I found that was we went uphill I had the advantage and was able to close the gap but it was on the flats that he was distancing himself.

The bike was much better than the previous race as I kept my composure working out to the turn.  I got to the turn in six place and knew I had the chance to work my way up on the other guys.  As we made our way back I noticed there was a few groups that were beginning to form.  The front six were all split into groups of two and then there was about five guys holding onto a group after myself.  The closer I got to the bike finish the stronger my legs started to feel.

Getting off the bike I was confident in my legs.  I told myself that I had the legs to chase down the guys in front of me and there was a good gap behind me to not worry.  I made my way into transition as the guy ahead of me was leaving.

The run course was all flat.  If there was even an elevation change of 10 feet it would have been a shock to me.  I started the run pretty cautious as I have been known to go out on all cylinders and burn up quickly in the run.  I instead focused on a smooth first mile and then building from there.  Once factor that played into the run a lot was the wind.  The first portion was straight into the wind which made things difficult.  Not being able to see anybody else on the run made for a lonely feeling as I finally was able to get out of the wind and headed the last mile towards the turnaround.

As I started coming back on the run I got the first chance to see what was behind me and I didn't like it.  A few of the runners were gaining on me and the second half of the run might have me being overtaken by a few runners.  I kept moving forward and tried to think about a good stride as the heat started to pick up once the sun came out.  With about a mile left one of the runners came alongside me and moved on up.  Knowing it would be useless to try to accelerate by that much I allowed him to go passed me as I prepared to push for the final bit.  With about a half mile left my speed picked up and I actually began gaining back on him but his overall pace was too fast for me to close back on him.  I came across the line 7th and 10th overall due to a few racers in the older wave.

The bike and the run just didn't have the juice I wanted of them.  Both were able to put up good results but not to the level that I want and know I can produce.

I got a free mat at the awards!

My finish was able to get some things cleared up on what exactly is working and what I need to work on.  My swim is doing exactly as I am wanting it to.  Obviously it isn't up with the front runners but it is slowly progressing and allowing me to get closer each time.  My bike hasn't had the opportunity for long intervals of 20 minutes like I enjoy putting in and I know that I need to put in the longer efforts to make things work.  My run was not prepared for this course.  I have been doing hills and hills for the run so when I found a run that had nothing in that aspect I didn't have the extra speed that I needed to replace the strength that I had been preparing for.  Track workouts are going to suck in the upcoming weeks.

So for those of you who don't know, we have a dog.  We adopted Ryan a few weeks ago and he was a crowd favorite while I was racing.

Bath County Triathlon: Knowing Myself

My first triathlon on the East coast would be the Bath Country Triathlon. It was a sprint distance which I hadn’t done since 2011 so the idea of such a short burst of high intensity was going to be something unfamiliar to me. It was a four hour drive to the course which was seriously in the middle of nowhere. I lost cell service two hours out and the navigation to the course took us down a gravel road. My thought process at one point had me question whether there actually WAS a race or not. It turned out that there was and the location was very secluded and scenic race.

The drives to races don't just have cornfields to look at.  On the drive home I was at one point averaging 59.1 mpg (I may have been going down a mountain for a few miles).

I ended up staying in one of the sketchiest hotels the night before the race a few towns over because the only thing offered in the nearby towns was bed and breakfast places. At first I was hesitant on this but tell myself that the strangest races always create the best stories. The hotel company was pretty much a bunch of middle aged men sitting in the parking lot on their trucks drinking beer the night before. My room hardly fit myself and my bike it was so small. I actually had to take note because one of the guests had brought his own grill and was in the parking lot using it cooking in swim trunks. I’m not in Iowa anymore.

Race morning came and I was the first person into transition. I got warmed up on both the run and the bike and headed down to the swim quite early which turned out to be a good thing. Nobody had any idea of the swim course. The website said we would be starting against a boat dock and swimming counter clockwise in the water but everybody was convinced we would be swimming clockwise. As the first wave got set to start we were still confused on whether we were starting on the boat ramp or in the water. One of the fellow racers said he heard the race director say we were starting behind the first buoy so about half of us headed 25 yards out for an in water start.

So it seems this will likely be a trend: pre-race selfies

As we got close to race start I moved to the shortest distance from the start line to the first turn buoy and noticed that there wasn’t anybody within about 10 yards of me. I was hugging the start buoy but everybody else was a little ways away. The horn went off and I did my thing to get going right away. As I looked over I kept an eye out to see if there were any feet pulling ahead to grab onto but there was nobody. I’m not sure how this happened but I was the first swimmer to the turn buoy and was leading the swim.

Now I know myself; I’m a good swimmer but I am not one to set the pace for the swim and have the fastest swim split. For the first third of the swim I was setting the pace and was getting myself in a confident mindset. If I can be near the front on the swim then I can easily be up front on the bike and the run. Sure enough though, a swimmer passed me at the second turn as we made our way to the back half.

I got comfortable knowing how close I was to the front and that the lead swimmer couldn’t sight. He continually was swimming side to side while I was able to take the shortest distance to the next buoy and keep up with him. As we neared the final turn buoy another swimmer past me and I got on his feet. The three of us came into the finish together and I got excited that I was the lead swim group for once!
As we exited the water I quickly made my way past the 2nd place swimmer and into transition. With the race being short transitions would play a bigger factor than usual. While taking my bike off the rack I

looked over to realize that I was the first guy leaving transition and now held the lead! My heart rate was spiked and I got everything off and onto the bike still a little dizzy.

I drove out on the course the day before for the bike so I knew what to expect. There was a hill right at the start and then it was pretty flat the rest of the way with a few rollers. I told myself to stay out of the little ring and just power through this bike course. Coming out of transition I looked back to see I had one rider about ten seconds behind me and that was it. I got going and hoped my breathing would catch up with me as I took on the first hill including a pretty big exhale of noises (I seemed to make some sort of heavy noise when I start working hard). As I got to the other side of the hill I looked back and saw nobody. I put the power on and started trying to make as big of a gap as I could on everyone.

Now I know myself; my bike has greatly improved in the past few years and now I can easily post one of the fastest bike splits in most races. As I made my way out on the bike I just couldn’t seem to get any power in my legs. My usual gear seemed heavy and I found myself having to continually shift into a smaller gear. Panic started to build inside me. Maybe I didn’t rest up right and was coming up flat on the bike? Maybe I was riding on a flat tire? Maybe one of my brakes was rubbing? No matter what the reason, I could not for the life of me push any speed on the bike.

I took a look back and saw something I didn’t want to see: a rider was catching me. I started to consider what to do. After a few miles of frustration I pulled my bike to the side of the road and stopped. While I checked to make sure everything was functioning properly on my bike the other rider road past me. There was nothing wrong with the bike; it was working perfectly fine. Apparently, I just suck at biking. This decision to pull over cost me the lead.

When I finally hit the turnaround of the bike I was still holding on to second place. I can’t begin to explain the frustration that hit me when I turned around. My bike started rolling and rolling easily. There wasn’t another rider in sight. The whole entire first half of the bike was UPHILL!!!! I had been tricked by a false flat and completely lost my confidence in myself because of it. This lack of awareness made me lose the lead and burn up my legs trying to push too big of a gear. While riding back I was so frustrated with myself because it was more than a false flat; I was actually riding uphill and going back down made me question how I didn’t realize it. The second half of the bike was quite hazy. My built up frustration had me completely redlining and I could hardly see more than a few feet in front of me. The fact that I didn’t crash is quite a miracle.

As I came into transition there was no sight of the leader and no sight of anybody behind me. I got on my run shoes and planned to see how my legs felt once I got out on the course.

I had the opportunity to see the run course a few times before the race. There was a hill coming directly out of transition followed by a smaller hill near the turnaround but overall it was downhill out and uphill back. The hills weren’t too daunting as long as I took them smart and kept my feet moving.
Coming out on the run was a completely different feeling trying to go up the hills. My legs were tired and my heart rate hadn’t dropped any bit. As I began the hill I heard spectators cheering as the next racer made it into transition and I told myself to hopefully just hold on to second place. When I made my

way to the top of the hill I saw the lead runner up ahead by about a minute. At this point in the race with less than three miles to run a one minute lead is pretty significant in the top few racers. Most people near the front are pretty solid in all three sports so you can count on them to have a run to hold off a 60 second lead. I did notice however that I was gaining on him just a little.

At this point I started doing some math because I really like math. I needed to cut his lead down significantly in the next few miles because if I can’t pass him until the home stretch then I can guarantee he isn’t going to go down easy. It was going to take a tremendous effort to close the gap and I needed to move. Unfortunately, the next mile I was only able to get about 10 seconds closer as we continued to go downhill.

When I made it to the turnaround things started to look up. I still was in second but there was a much bigger gap behind me than in front of me. My target was first place and I kept my eyes on him. I watched the way he ran; analyzed everything about him. He looked to be pounding on his feet. His cadence was slower than mine and he struggled on the uphill portions. The next mile I really dug down and with about one mile left in the race, I came alongside the lead.

There wasn’t much distance left in the race and the competitors heading out knew it. People were yelling for us, knowing it was going to be a tight finish. I was only able to hold the lead by a yard as he got back up to my speed. It seemed to everybody that this was going to be a good finish. Everybody but me.

Now I know myself; I am a runner. What everybody else didn’t realize is that I had slowed up just a tab when I made the pass. I knew the course ahead and had visualized how to finish the race if it came down to just myself and another racer. My strategy was already set and I was both looking forward to it and not so much.

We had one hill left and then it was all downhill. Every time that we came across a hill on the run I had been able to move a little closer. My plan was to make my move on the hill. My mindset was, “These next two minutes are going to suck, a lot, but in about six minutes it will all be worth it.” When we got to the bottom of the hill I barreled into the thing. I picked up my knees and climbed. As I started the hill I could hear people yelling, “Go runners!” to the both of us and as I crested the top they were instead yelling, “Go runner!” There was no longer another runner beside me. With less than a half mile to go I had pulled away.

The finish line area.  You can briefly see some of the scenery off to the left above the trees.

Coming down the hill was pretty easy. I let the downhill speed me up and started smiling. There was a huge effort that I had to put in on the run and it really paid off. I looked back as I took the final turn and could no longer see second place. I came across the line and had to wait 30 seconds for him to finish. Later he told me that had he been able to make it to the top of the hill alongside me he would have sprinted to the finish; it’s a good thing I went when I did. He had started the run nearly 1:30 ahead of me and I was able to catch him and take another :30 up to take the win.

Overall podium.  I got a lunch bag and a container of HEED so now I have two containers to use up.

Sadly, this is where the high moment ends. The men were separated into two different waves. Another racer from wave two was able to take the victory by over a minute. My stop on the bike slowed me by

about 30 seconds and there was a lot of confidence drained on that first half. I was able to have a top ten split in all three sports and transitions thought. Even with stopping on the bike I posted the 7th fastest time of anybody.

Coming in 2nd was a tough pill to swallow after my effort on the run but I know myself and I know that I will take that 1st place spot soon. For now it is back to the training and making sure this wasn’t a one and done effort out here. 

Kristine finally able to use both her race wheels and look destructive.

Air Force Association Cycling Classic: Getting Back to Business

So for the last month my training has been extremely sub-par.  I got injured mid-April so I completely stopped riding to allow myself to recover, I graduated college, and I moved 1,000 miles across the country to Virginia.  I try to stay positive and think that although most athletes do not enjoy injuries, mine tend to come at times that I can take a break.  It took some effort to get back to training and I have been hesitant to try to ride.  It started with not being able to bend my knee, then I had to teach a spin class one legged (yes it was entertaining to watch), and then finally I have slowly worked myself up from being able to ride for about 20 minutes pain free to an hour without any pain.  Once I got to an hour I decided I would give a race a try to see whether I was ready to start doing what I’ve always done.

The Air Force Association Cycling Classic Challenge Ride is a really cool event. It basically is a big loop around the Pentagon and surrounding areas.  All the roads are closed from traffic so the cyclists have a lot of room to ride.  There was about 2,000 riders so there was a great chance to work with other riders at my level and test my leg.  For any cyclists reading this, the event is REALLY cool and I encourage you to try it out.  The challenge was to see how many loops you could do within three hours.

My view to the start line.

Now I knew I was out of shape compared to what I know I am capable of.  I hadn’t really been on any group rides for nearly a year and my handling was going to be sub-par.  I calculated what speed I needed to average to reach the Gold Level which was the top level and figured I could do it. I got registered and lined up about 300 riders deep before the race start.

Waiting for the race to start I began chatting with the riders next to me.  I mentioned this was my first time and that I have just moved from Iowa. This is the conversation that followed:

Rider: Oh you’re from Iowa, are there even any hills there?

Alex: Ha ha, yes we do have hills but you typically have to go looking for them.

Rider: …….are they all man-made?

Alex: Well no, they are actually hills.

Rider: Well the loop only has one hill but it is a long and gradual one.  It isn’t too bad the first time, but it will wear you down.

This is my rant. He just said the wrong thing to the wrong person. I do NOT like people who doubt me without knowing me.  Does Iowa even have hills? For the record, one of my first  group rides I got dropped on every hill we went on and I made a point to always do hill work from then on so it would never happen again. If you ever are watching me race and want me to push myself harder, just doubt me. There is nothing that motivates me more than doubt. I was determined to show everyone what a rider from Iowa can do.

Time to put on my game face but first, let me take a selfie.

When the race started I was about 30 seconds back since we had to wait for everyone to roll out.  It was extremely congested but after a few sharp turns and weaving through people I got into a good group and we started working.  My knee was acting well and everything was going as expected.  We hit the first 180 degree turn and went into a quick uphill.  A lot of the group slowed so I pushed up with the lead of the pack I was in. We formed a smaller group and started working together as we neared the hill. Putting my Iowa pride on, I got into my hill climbing mindset and picked up the cadence.  I worked my way past the group and up to the top with ease.

As the group reformed at the bottom of the hill we were catching a larger group from ahead so I took the entry ramp onto the freeway as a way to power up and catch onto the back wheel of the next group. We made our loop past the Pentagon and finished lap one in about 25 minutes, done.

I did a little math and realized a few things.  First off, I was on pace to not only reaching the Gold level, but to get an extra lap in above what was needed. Secondly, my knee wasn’t having any problems and I seemed to have a lot more power in my legs than I thought. Lastly and the most worrisome, the longest ride I’ve done in the past two months is a little over an hour……and I have 2.5 more hours to go.

The next few laps continued to see the same results for me.  Each lap I would form up with a pretty decent sized group.  When we would hit any incline Mr. Iowa (that would be me, representing with pride, holla!) would drive up to the front of the group and form a smaller and stronger group.  Once we got to the hill I would then power myself to the top and not let a single rider pass me. As we worked our way back on the second half of the course I would use the triathlon race strategy and the expected flat road conditions I was supposedly used to riding on to take the smaller group I was riding with to close in on the next big group. Any time a few riders would try to ride past the group I was with I would hop on their wheel and move on up.

A small scare happened in lap three.  As I was making my way back from the first U-turn my front tire seemed to have caught something.  Another rider’s helmet sticker had come off and I rode right over top of it, grabbing it and attaching to my wheel.  This caused more noise than actual concern as it clicked rapidly as my wheel spun until magically it got caught up in something and just shot out to the side of my wheel.

When I began finishing up lap five a problem started to arise.  The pain in my knee was starting to creep itself into my mind.  To give you an idea of what this feels like, imagine having an open wound and then somebody takes a small needle and slowly just scrapes around inside the wound.  It isn’t a large single impact pain but the slow continuous pain can drive you crazy. Due to the mechanics of cycling this pain would come back every time my leg would come over the top of the pedal stroke which is about 80-100 times per minute. Of the last five rides I have done, three of them the pain got so bad I had to unclip my leg and pedal with only the other leg so as not to increase the pain.

I have no idea how this will turn out but some of the riders coming in after I finished.

The idea of getting in the seventh lap was a bad one.  This was only a test and there were bigger and better races ahead of me. With only one lap to go to get to the top level and having twice the time I needed left to do a lap I decided to take lap six casual.  I broke off from the group and started riding solo.  I was able to maintain the pain and still make decent time. With only one last go at the hill I picked my head up and kept my record: zero riders passed me on the hill. I would like to think that is pretty good for somebody whose home state apparently doesn’t have hills. I coasted for a few portions of the lap and still came in with about 20 minutes to spare.

Near the finish line with my medal with time to spare.

My main goal for this race was to convince myself I can push the bike. Being able to complete all the laps I needed really boosted my confidence in that. For not riding a lot and going from one hour to a little over 2.5 hours in one jump was a pretty big stretch but my body was able to handle it.  Also my knee previously acted up in less than an hour but during the race it took over two hours and a lot of strong efforts to really aggravate it in any way. I think it is about time I get out in the triathlon circuit and really show everybody what Kristine can do.

RiverRun 10K: A Hometown Humbling

The 2014 RiverRun was set to be my last race in Iowa for a while.  Being as I would be leaving within the following weeks I set it up to be my last race in the Iowa City area.  Last year I was able to win the 10K so I signed up again, hoping to defend my title.

Race morning was very relaxed as I got to the race area and just kept myself contained and calm.  I met up with some of my teammates and then Matt Ampleman and I went out for an easy warm-up jog. I made my way back to the start line with about five minutes before the race started.

Race start with a tough headwind made for a hard effort.

The race is a tough one to predict as it is both a 5K and 10K event starting in the same spot so you have no idea who is doing which race.  The start pack took off fast and I figured it would be fun to go with them for once.  We had a big group of about 20 of us as we pushed straight into the wind.  I settled right behind Matt, who I knew would also be doing the 10K, as we made our way out for the first half mile.  It was at this point that I started to dread going out so hard.  The first mile we likely ran around a 5:15 and I ended up paying for it from then on.

The first aid station was just a table with cups, the volunteers stood behind it watching instead of out front handing waters to the runners.  Instead of slowing down to try to grab a cup I decided to just go without.  When I came up on the 2^nd aid station I made sure to yell up ahead for water so luckily a guy came out to hand one off to me.  This same set-up was the case at every aid station, a table with cups of water and volunteers standing behind watching, except for mile four where the volunteers were out ready to hand us water.  Luckily, I was able to call out ahead to most of them to have water ready.

The lonely feeling of seeing nobody ahead or behind started to set in at this point.

The wind really took its toll on me as I headed out for the 2^nd loop of the 10K.  I knew Matt was ahead of me by a bit but had no idea how many others were ahead or how much of a gap I had on the next racer.  I kept telling myself that I would get the wind at my back as I made my descent down the hill and it was about then that I saw that I was sitting in third place. My pace got a little stronger once I got the wind and I used it to prepare myself for the last hill of the day.

I really didn’t want to do this hill.  It is late in the race and just gradually gets steeper as you go up it. Your stride gets short and by the time you reach the top you just want to walk. Granted there was a lot of time during this race that I wanted to walk, I never actually wanted to as I crested the hill.  I told myself at the base that it was the last time I would have to do it and pushed myself up. Once to the top I could see the main group of runners coming out on the loop.

Some of the 5K runners who I have ran with over the past year were out on their cool down run to cheer me along and really helped that last mile.  As I came into one of the last corners one of the race vehicles was pulling across the road. Trying to avoid the majority of runners coming out, he pulled over to the right side of the road. This was exactly where I was running so I turned to hop up on the curb only to find that for some reason he wanted to drive on the curb as well.  I made a quick side jump to avoid the truck and used the brief bit of adrenaline to push me up the last incline of the day.

Coming down the final stretch before the finish.

Coming down the last little bit I kept my pace until I saw the clock.  Unfortunately, it wasn’t my day as I came across in 36:17 which was 45 seconds slower than the previous year.  The course was a more challenging course and the wind was a factor the time but overall, I just hadn’t put in the speed work that I had last year at this point. Trying to keep up with the guys who ran sub 5:00 miles for the 5K at the start of the race was just begging for trouble and the performance didn’t come out the way I wanted.  Even if I had performed as well as I knew I could I still would have ended up in 3^rd place as I did.

Going to be a different experience not having these two at my races this year.

USAT Collegiate Nationals: A Waveful of Emotions

USAT Collegiate Nationals has always been a big race for me every year.  This year would be my last chance to represent The University of Iowa and I knew it was going to be an emotional day. I wanted to leave everything on the course and have no regrets for my last collegiate race. Of all of the times I went to collegiate nationals, this was the least optimal conditions heading to the race for me.  Obstacles kept coming up along the way but I reminded myself of how I always try to tell other people to not dwell on things that they cannot change but instead do the best with what they have.  I wanted that to be the message I sent from my race and it turned out to be a very difficult battle from the start.

The emotions hit real quick race morning.  Walking into transition I about started crying but had to stop myself.  I keep forgetting how good I've gotten at setting up my transition spot and was done within 20 minutes of transition opening.  I spent the next hour or so saying hello to different racers and making sure I quadruple checked my spot. During the women’s race I kept a bottle with me and kept hydrating so as not to forget my own race coming.  I made sure to stay in the shade and head back soon enough to start getting ready for my race. Even listening to my music before the race started was difficult.

Going to be a crowded start.

Had only I known that just to my right was some clear water.

For the swim start I remembered the physicality of the wave from the year before. Once again, I started a little back and let the major kicking from the guys upfront carry me forward.  This year was just as physical for the first half.  I thought for sure that my trying to get into position was going to start a fight with somebody and kept waiting for the other swimmer’s to mistake one of my strokes as a punch. During the swim I kept thinking how I could hardly get my face in the water with all the battling crowd and my arms were getting tired quickly. For a moment I thought about taking it easy because there was too much effort for such a little gain. Finally I started getting aggressive when I saw a little opening and just immediately thought, “That is MY spot!” so I just dove into it.  On the way back I caught a nice straight line draft from another swimmer as we made our way directly for the last buoy while the others seemed to swim from each buoy to the next instead of taking the most direct route to the finish.

Exiting the swim and onto the faster parts.

Coming out of the water I couldn't get a handle on my wetsuit.  I got to my spot with my heart racing and wanting to tear off my wetsuit.  Turns out I actually tore off my road id wristband that I found many hours later.  I got my bike off the rack and moved up quickly for the bike.

Taking Kristine out to destroy the course.

Heart rate was so high I could hardly hold onto the bike.

Getting on the bike was the most exciting part of the day for me.  I didn't want to swim but I really wanted to bike.  I got into a good gear and made my moves.  Within a few miles I felt the soreness in my glutes and thought that my PR was done for.  Again, I had to give myself an attitude check and keep working past riders but took a corner a little fast and nearly ran myself off the road.  Looking back I saw a rider right behind me go down at the same corner so my adrenaline shot up so much that I ended up throwing up in my mouth quicker than I ever had on the bike.  My breathing was getting heavy and I thought this was a lost cause until I had my teammate, Kyle Siefers, in sight.  I passed him and he came right back past me ready to go.  

Riding with Kyle during lap one (with my support team in the background in tutus).

At this point I actually cracked a smile; I had a riding buddy for the bike.  Soon after a rider from Texas A&M came by us and I went with him.  Another rider from Arizona State came by us and I encouraged the A&M rider to pick up the pace and start working a few bike lengths back from the ASU rider but he was quickly dropped. I then got up passed the ASU rider and encouraged him and the two of us then took off on the bike.  We really took it to the group and pushed past anybody who tried to stay with us. During the whole bike I kept thinking that I had a great bike split but my run was going to suffer majorly.  With about three miles left I passed Michael Tong from USC and got him to pick up the pace along with a Colorado rider and the four of us tore through the rest of the bike.  Coming in the second to last turn I came wide and really dug into the corner.  Turns out I dug a little too deep and my inside foot scraped the pavement. Luckily, I was able to stay upright and flew into transition.

Coming back on a mission on the bike.

In transition I started to get a little angry.  I've realized this past few months that I go a lot harder when I am ticked off.  My motivation for the race was to just race mad.  Within a few steps I knew I was in trouble for the run.  My legs were completely shot and I could hardly move. It was a tough pep talk but I told myself the legs would come and to get moving.

This portion of the race gets a little hazy from start to finish. As I came out of transition I tried to spit but it clung to the side of my cheek.  In any other race, at any other time, I would have wiped it off but at that moment I didn't care how I looked. All I wanted was to push myself as hard as I could.

Running with Karla's sign in the background. So supportive.

The first two miles of the run my cadence was good.  I was moving up and passing runners who I felt had a good pace already going.  Within about a mile though I noticed my quads cramping.  My sub 2:00:00 goal was not going to happen if this kept up so I really tried to walk on thin ice and not let the muscles go crazy. When I came to mile two my support team was there to encourage me.  I don’t remember all of what they said but I had told Karla the night before that I needed her to piss me off.  I knew she would be able to get me upset enough to tear into the last four miles so I made sure to tell her what to say. She didn't say it.  Instead as I ran past my mom I heard her yell something along the lines of, “I've been watching you do this for five years now. Kick it in. I’m right here with you!” Right when she mentioned the five years the emotions came, hard.  I was on the verge of tears for the next mile and it got extremely hard to breathe.  My legs were slowing and I just was losing it.  I thought about walking pretty hard but reminded myself that this was my last year here!  Sluggishly, I kept moving forward.

Looking stylish at mile two of the run. It only got worse from here.

As I came around the corner for the last bridge I was really dreading going uphill one more time.  I didn't think my legs could muster getting up and over this slight incline.  The pack I had passed was hot on my feet and I was worried they would catch me. Right as I took the corner I heard some guy yell from a truck, “Hawks suck!” Sadly, he didn't realize he just did exactly what I wanted somebody to do all day: piss me off.  I made an explicit remark to myself and stormed up the bridge.  It was the easiest portion of the entire run which right before I didn't even want to attempt.  For those last two miles I was determined to represent my school as best I could.  I knew there was a guy from Ohio State closing on me but refused to let him pass.  With a little over a mile left I really started to dig deep.  My breathing turned into a panting and I pushed myself to a new level.

For the last mile I completely lost care of everything. My appearance at this point was by far the worst I've looked in a race.  The spit on my face was now being accompanied by drool because I didn't even want to take the time to clear my mouth. My breathing was so heavy that the responses from the spectators was nearly comical looking back.  From afar they would see my kit and yell, “Go Hawkeyes!” but then as I got closer and they saw my expression and heard how much I was working it turned into more of a, “You can do it. Hold it together, man.” Regardless of how miserable I looked, I was moving faster than I had for the past five miles and all the years I've done this race before.

Coming near the finish I kicked it and tore down the chute.  Last year I slowed up before the finish since nobody was around me but I didn't want that to be the last thing I did in this race.  The spectators were all blurry at this point and I could only figure all the people wearing yellow were my teammates. I kept running hard and refused to stop until I fell into the arms of two volunteers who had to hold me up past the finish. For a brief moment before the finish I saw my time and realized that through all the rough patches of the day I still made my goal: I broke 2:00:00.

Done. Exhausted. Hot. Everything just came out.

The volunteers had to hold me for a while and dumped a bottle of water on my head. I wasn't sure if I could produce as fast of a race as I did last year but I did that and then some.  I actually was faster in every sport, even my run when I felt all was lost. Throughout the whole race I kept having to keep my head up and pushing harder and was able to get what I wanted out of the day.  My final time was 1:59:15; nearly four minutes faster than the year before. To finish my collegiate career with such a hard fought effort was a truly satisfying feeling.

Swimming: My Strugglebus

My mom sent me a picture talking about people who started working out and are trying to make a lifestyle change.  People who start a New Year’s Resolution in hopes of losing the weight they recently put on, or hoping to finish an event of some sort. Statistics are not in their favor; most people who pick up an exercise program quit before they can really see any results.

I wish those people didn’t get discouraged so easily and knew that everybody who exercises regularly was a beginner at some point.  At one point, I was in the same boat. When I first began training for triathlons swimming was an absolute joke. I had to teach myself how to swim and this is my story:

Heading into college I thought it would be fun to participate in a lap swimming class since nothing like that had been offered for me in high school. I showed up on day one in a pair of swim trunks and without a pair of goggles; I had no idea what I was getting myself into.  My teacher said that we would all go at our own pace and that some people might swim eight laps while others might swim 34 laps.  With my cockiness I figured I would be way up in front doing the 34 laps.  To any swimmers reading this, I had never done any type of lap swimming before in my life; you can laugh at me at this point because what you are thinking is exactly what happened.

Lap swimming was terrible.  I ended up being the worst in class.  For the first week I didn’t even swim; I just kicked with a kick board the whole time.  When I did finally start “swimming” I had no success at all.  It took me a few weeks until I realized that you were supposed to exhale while your face was underwater. Every day of class I got in the corner in my own lane and was determined to get my distance in each day (which was nothing close to the 34 laps the teacher had mentioned) while hiding from the people who actually could swim. 

Swimming was so uncomfortable for me.  25 yards was a feat to accomplish for me and it took a couple days until I could swim the length of the pool without stopping.  Then I had to stop and rest for about a minute between each length. Arms flailing, I would sprint across and wouldn’t feel safe until I got to the other side.  The fear of drowning in water that only came up to my waist was a real fear for me. My view on swimming changed drastically.

After class had finished I tried to swim on my own as I began planning to race my first triathlon.  I still couldn’t swim more than 25 yards at a time.  I would be in the pool just watching all these people swimming so effortlessly across the pool, using all different types of strokes, equipment, and doing these amazing flip turns which I thought were AMAZING!  Then there was me, standing in four foot high water breathless from one length. I felt as if I didn’t belong in the same pool as them.

 I remember one Sunday night standing in the pool, looking at the clock thinking about how pathetic this was.  I hadn’t gotten any better since class was over.  25 yards was still a long distance for me, how was I going to swim 500 yards in a race? I thought about quitting; what was I even trying to prove? I am the slowest swimmer in the pool right now, why do I keep coming? When was this going to get easier? When would I begin enjoying it? Couldn’t I be using my time for something I was actually good at? Am I really enjoying this suffering I’m putting myself through? All my frustration was building up and I just wasn’t seeing any progress.

I wish I could go back to that night and figure out what it was that kept me going.  Honestly, I have no idea why I got back in the pool afterwards; I was demoralized. Nevertheless, I kept swimming, each day was another day of dreading water and counting down the lengths until I reached the distance I needed.  Slowly, I was able to swim 50 yards without stopping and kept working up to 100 yards. 

One day while I was swimming I came up to the wall around 100 yards and thought to myself, “I could swim another length,  I wonder how much further I can go?” so I kept swimming.  Excitement started to build as I reached a new length that I was able to go without stopping; the whole time I kept telling myself to remain calm and relax so I didn’t suddenly realize that I needed air (At this point I would like to note that to remain calm in those early phases I would try to visualize a meadow. This is not a joke). That day I made it 200 yards without stopping.  My confidence sky rocketed and the next day I went in and swam 1,000 yards without stopping.  Within 24 hours I went from 100 yards to 1,000 yards; something just clicked. It took over four months of struggling but I finally was able to swim for more than just a length!

Then came the technique work. I learned how to do those majestic flip turns and now I am pretty decent at faking the other types of strokes as well. Through the years there have been a lot of people help me in one way or another. This is a list of everybody I can think of since when I first started:

• Matt Ampleman
• Jessie Blakely
• Andrew Bennett
• Vako Darjania
• Amanda Jacobsen
• Laura Jones
• Brian Lentz
• Alex Libin
• Justin Metzler
• Rob Miecznikowski
• Kyle Noser
• Dave Scott (yes, tri-nerds “The Man”)
• Kyle Siefers
• Matt Zepeda

Now, I swim up to six times a week.  Swimming has become part of my daily routine so much so that I feel off all day if I miss it.  I enjoy jumping in that water at 5:45am and feeling my arms pull through the water.  The fear of drowning trying to get across the pool is no longer a fear. I like to think that I’m now that person I used to gaze at and wonder how they get across the pool with such ease.  People have asked me if I swam in high school; they’ve asked if I swim competitively; I’ve even been pointed out from a group as being one of the fastest swimmers in the room.

The truth is I have improved a lot since when I started.  My 500 time is nearly three times faster than when I first did a race. The distance I first did when I started is now my warm-up. To say it was easy to get to where I am now would be a joke.  The amount of times I wanted to quit swimming I can’t even count.  If I would have quit way back within the first week when I was too scared to put my face in, or the next week when I couldn’t make it across the pool, or the months after that when I couldn’t make it further than 25 yards, or even that Sunday night when I was thinking it was useless and pathetic I never would have kept at the sport I now love.

Hours of Sacrifice: The Untold Story

There is a lot more that goes on in the sport of triathlon before race day.  Hours of preparation go into each week as the race gets closer and closer.  Fine tuning technique and conditioning to bring out the best of the racer’s ability come race day. It is very evident that these participants have put in a lot of time to make this day work. 

Sadly, this is the only effort that gets recognized.  Everybody always notices the improvements the participant has shown since their last race.  Praise is always extended to the finishers as they cross the line, but they aren't the only ones who make an effort before and during race day. Behind every participant who steps up to that line is a support team that hardly ever gets the recognition they deserve. I will try to best explain this situation through examples that I have dealt with in my training and racing.

One of the people in my life that makes the biggest effort to help with my racing is my mom. When I first started triathlons I would have my mom drive me two miles down the road to the neighbor’s pond while I attempted to brave the cold of the water without a wetsuit.  During the time I was swimming my mom would have to sit nearby as my own personal lifeguard (for the record she has yet to have to dive in and save me). Luckily, the neighbors had a dog that my mom would entertain herself with to make the time pass by each time.

After a few races of following that logic I decided to upgrade to a bigger body of water and go out to the Coralville Reservoir to swim early in the mornings.  This now required my mom to drive at least ten miles to come and do the same thing.  This time there was no dog for her to play with. I like to think she expanded her reading resume and would bring along a book to read while I did this, but somehow I feel like she instead would stand on the beach and just watch. In 2012 I actually made her take video of me swimming one morning for a documentary that I created of myself (the documentary is quite humorous).

Then I decided this past year that I needed to up the ante again.  At this point I was asking my mom to drive a good 15 miles to sit in her car while I rode my bike for ten minutes followed by a three minute all out run brick workout.  I repeated this three times and her sole purpose was to make sure nobody stole my bike while I was gone for three minutes. She had now been demoted from “lifeguard” to “sit in the car so nobody will come near my bike”. I’m a selfish little brat.  The good news is that I believe she started bringing a book to these training sessions.

At this point, we haven’t even arrived at the race weekend!  Typically my mom likes to go to my races. Usually that is pretty simple since a lot of my races have been within the state of Iowa, but she also flew with me to watch me race in Nevada when I thought that would be a fun thing to do. Her Expedia account would be able to confirm that she will again be flying to USAT Collegiate National Championships for the fourth year in a row to watch me race. It seems that even if I tried to make it impossible to have her at the start line with me, she would find a way. On the usual race trips where we actually drive, my mom takes the wheel as I try to stay awake but usually end up napping at some point along the drive to rest up for the race.  Once we arrive at the race town I typically make her drive the course with me so I can familiarize myself with what is to come.

Race day arrives and we are awake at the time that I want to wake up.  My mom drives me to the race hours before the start and then gets to sit in the lovely dark waiting until the race time nears.  I hope she decides this is a good time to get a little more sleep but I’m in my own world at this point to find out.  As the start time draws near she makes her way to the start with words of encouragement; at this point I have my game face on and usually she gets some sort of snarky comment back from me. When the gun goes off she gets the fun realization that she will only see me for about three minutes throughout the race.  I do the best I can beforehand to point out certain parts of the course where she can be sure to see me multiple times but it is highly unlikely I will get her a motorcycle that she can ride on throughout the bike course. Each time she sees me, my mom yells anything she can think of, a lot of times it is things I told her were my mantra for the race, to keep me pushing harder.  Usually when she says these things I have responses in my head that I want to say back but instead focus on pushing on:

Mom: They aren't going to give it to you. You got to work for it.
Alex (Thinking): That’s a load of crap! Why can’t they just hand it over?!

Mom: Let’s go; you got to make it hurt.
Alex (Thinking): ……That sounds like a TERRIBLE idea Mom……

Mom: Alright, you can do this. You've prepared for this.
Alex (Thinking): Obviously I know that. Why else would I be here?

Mom: Here we go! Time to get a little crazy out there!
Alex (Thinking): Mom…..I am not on that level at the start of this 13.1 mile run.

Mom: You have less than 35 minutes left to run. Kick it in!
Alex (Thinking): No.

I absolutely hate the things my mom says during the race.  I hate it because she yells exactly what I need to hear.  She knows exactly what it will take to make me push harder and because of that I keep my mouth shut and work harder.  As much as I hate it, I know that she is doing all she can to help me reach my goals.

After we leave the race it doesn't take long and I fall asleep again from exhaustion in the car.  I try as much as I can to stay awake and keep her company but usually I fail within the first hour on the road. At that point my mom is left to drive the rest of the way with an unconscious athlete in the seat next to her.  I feel like she could entertain herself so much with how I act after the race but to my knowledge there has only been one occasion where she made a note to do that.

My mom doesn't get enough credit.  I try as much as I can to thank her for all she does to help out with my racing but I don’t think that the words really carry the weight they need to. She hears about my highs and my lows.  She’s heard my frustration and my excitement. This past year, I won my first race and she was there to see it happen.  I remember that after I crossed that finish line I was surrounded by volunteers and other racers who were finishing from a shorter distance race, but the only person I wanted there with me to celebrate was my mom.  Heading into the race she knew I was planning on not doing too well due to a heavy training week so when I finally found her after and she yelled, “What was that?!” I just started laughing.

I think every athlete has somebody like my mom on their support team. Somebody who wants to see them succeed so much that they are willing to sacrifice their own time to make it work.  Whether that be a parent, spouse, significant other, teammate, or anybody else we all have somebody that is willing to go that extra mile.

As 2014 is about to start for me in about a month, I plan to make it a goal to thank those people that support me more frequently than I have.  There are plenty of people who have supported me a long the way since 2009 that never have gotten the recognition they deserve for the things they have done for me.  I wanted to list everybody who has gone that extra mile for me on here but I would make this longer than it already is.  If you think I'm talking about you, THANK YOU!

For those of you who are that support person, you are incredible. Although we don’t say it a lot, we really appreciate everything you do.  During tough times of the race we think of you to not give up or to help push us more. We’re sorry when we lash out at you in frustration about something that had nothing to do with you; it just turns out that you are the person nearby that we always turn to. I know there are countless efforts you make that go unnoticed that mean just the same to your racer as all the efforts that they are aware of. You celebrate with us at our finest hour and pick us back up at our toughest.

For those of you who have that support person, don’t forget to thank them.  They do things that you never realize.  They are the person who stays up after you go to sleep to make sure all of your water bottles are in the fridge or that all of your gear is packed and ready to go for the morning.  They weather any weather to be at the race with you. During the race, they sometimes get to show the same athleticism as you show by sprinting from location to location to see you as much as possible. Thank them for listening to your story about that terrible headwind on the bike that they have no way to relate to or when you got elbowed on the swim and there is nothing they can do about it. Although they might not be suiting up in the race gear with you and trudging into the water when that gun goes off, they’re with you every step of the way.