Stingrays spotted:  2
Strangest tanline:  wrist stripes (b/w cycling gloves and sleeves)
Potty breaks:  5
Best song heard: Karate Kid theme “You’re the Best!”
Blisters:  0

I arrived on Thanksgiving day and headed straight for the Expo for packet pickup.  My mom joined me for the week.  She was impressed by the size of the event and a little nervous about all the logistics.  

Swam on the course on Friday and built my bike.  Check in was Saturday and getting ready for it took some serious planning.  Bike and run bags had to be handed over, so it was the last chance to decide what you’d need on race day.  Aside from the swim and walking around town, I mostly laid low before the race. All the hotels were packed with triathletes and their families, and I’d been warned that there would be people in head-to-toe compression and IM_____ (fill in the blank) visors/shirts/caps EVERYWHERE.  And that was exactly true.

Shockingly, I slept reasonably well the night before and loaded into the hotel bus with tons of other participants headed to the start. Once there, it was just waiting…

SWIM. In a word:  GORGEOUS.  Nothing beats a 2.4 mile swim in the Caribbean.  Perfect temperature, no wetsuits, and 100% visibility.  Until the wind picks up, and the water turns into the inside of a washing machine.  Sandbags anchoring the buoys were being dragged across the sea floor, and scuba divers were sent in to reposition and hold them steady.  At one point, I started breathing on one side only, since turning to the other side meant getting hit in the face with a swell of saltwater.  Even when I started feeling seasick, it was beautiful out there. I’d expected a much faster swim, but I enjoyed every minute.  The mass start was wild, with 2800 or so people in the water — nobody was quite sure where the actual start was, and some started swimming well before the gun sounded.

TI. Out of the water and into the changing tent, where I geared up for the bike.  Volunteers were everywhere, asking if you needed water, gatorade, vaseline, sunscreen.  Some race day details had been clearly laid out (i.e., which gear bags had to be dropped off in advance) and others were nonexistent (i.e., where to put your bag with wet swim clothes), so I ran back and forth a couple times from the changing tent to my bike when I couldn’t figure out where to leave the bag with swim stuff.

BIKE.  The 112 mile course is a 3-loop ride, with about half of the loop on the shoreline and incredible views.  There weren’t many crosswinds that day, but if you could see water, there was a headwind. The race officials assessed a ton of drafting penalties, and there were accidents all over.  The first loop was awesome…settling in, and getting to know the route. Met a guy from El Paso, who saw the Crazy Cat Cyclery jersey and showed me his matching water bottle.  The turn into town was amazing:  stores with speakers blaring, and tons of people lining the streets, shaking bottles filled with rocks and cheering. There were plenty of water stations with water and gatorade, but no food on the bike.  I’d planned to eat some bananas out there, but thankfully brought enough food with me.  Around mile 40, my lower back started hurting. BAD. I kept stretching and sitting up, but that last loop was excruciating.  I’ve been working to strengthen my back for the past couple months, but WOW.  I’ve never been so glad to get off my bike, ever.  Once the back pain started, I decided not to focus too much on speed and just keep it steady.

My mom did a great job as sherpa, too!  I saw her as I started the bike, on every loop of the bike, on the first 2 loops of the run, and right at the finish.  Took a few videos and pictures (that I’m told I will get soon…) and made friends with other spectators.  Very impressive, and she updated my boyfriend and brother throughout the day.

T2.  Handed off my bike to a volunteer, grabbed my run bag, and headed to the changing tent.  My back was screaming, and I couldn’t bend over. Changing was extremely painful, and I started to worry that my back would lock up on the run.  Ladies were chatty back there, and I also learned that about 200 had missed the swim cutoff due to the rough waters. Heartbreaking.  Snapped on my race belt and off to the run!

RUN. The marathon is a 3-time out-and back that stretches about 4.3miles.  Basically, you run back and forth on the same road over and over and over.  About a mile of that is lined with people cheering and hi-fiving, and music and cheering stations are scattered throughout.  Some of the hotels really get into it, with staff dancing in the street and DJs set up.  The loops are great for spotting people and feeling in good company.  There were people from all over – US and Mexico, of course, Canada, Bolivia, Argentina, Italy, Germany, Russia.  There were also people hurting.  I spotted about 5 with road rash and slings shuffling along.

Thankfully, I shook off the back pain after 2 miles, and hit a comfortable clip around 10min/mile. At mile 8, I realized I needed a potty break, but thought I’d finish the first loop and catch one on the way back.  Bad idea. Shortly after the turnaround, I was so uncomfortable, I had to walk…and it was a good mile or more before I found one.  Ugh.  Walked as fast as I could, and started right up running after a quick stop.  By that point, everything sounded awful. Gu. Bananas. Gatorade. Honey Stinger chews.  Gross.  But, I had another 16 miles to go, so I ate something.  And then I needed another break.  Everything went right through me, and I had to walk some more.  After the second stop, I decided to eat then walk a few minutes to make sure my stomach settled before starting to run again.  That mostly worked.  Then, around mile 12, I started feeling “sparkly”…like I was going to pass out.  I was weaving a little, too, so I started walking to shake it off.  Decided I needed salt, and my special needs bag was near mile 13, so I grabbed the potato chips with extra salt that I’d stashed in it (Coach Felix’s suggested mix).  Perfect!  About 2 minutes later, I perked up and got back to my run.  The last loop was probably the best.  I felt great running throughout the course, and I was annoyed that my stomach wasn’t holding up.  Running felt so much better than walking.  Everything is a blur after the 20 mile mark on the run…at that point, the finish line was only an hour away and I tried to take in every minute.

I crossed the finish line with a time of 14:34.  Longer than I’d expected, but respectable nonetheless.  On the bike, I thought, “I need to stick with 70.3s because this is ridiculous.”  As I crossed the finish line, I thought, “Next time, I’ll be faster.” That’s a good sign.

After the race, I was wired until about 2am and only slept a few hours.  Felt like going dancing after all the music on the run.  The next morning, everyone was sporting their finisher shirts and jackets. And walking funny.  I felt slightly stiff and went for short swims on Monday and Tuesday.  On Tuesday, the soreness set in. Some margaritas on the beach helped.

NOTE:  It wasn’t until a few days later that I realized at least part of what was going on during the run — I’d been on 2 antibiotics to treat a terrible sinus infection for 2 weeks before the race and was still on them race morning.  My physician had warned me that my body wouldn’t absorb nutrition normally, so I should try to find something easily digestible and take some probiotics since the meds wiped out some good bacteria, too.  Who knows if that made a difference, but I know I’ll need to practice the nutrition piece for next time.

LESSONS LEARNED:

• Work on core and back strength. A lot.
• Do not buy new goggles 2 days before and expect them to fit properly.
• Practice race day nutrition.
• Antibiotics mess with nutrition absorption and make all that “practicing of race day nutrition” useless.

MIGHTY MUJER TRIATHLON 2012

April 28, 2012      7:30am

Memorial Park Pool (3251 Copper Avenue, El Paso, TX 79930)

PLEASE NOTE:  Registration for Mighty Mujer Tri opens in January.

Event Description: Mighty Mujer Triathlon is an all-female “super sprint” that starts with a 300-yard swim in an indoor pool.  The 15k bike course is followed by a 2-mile run in the Memorial Park area in Central El Paso.  The “super sprint” course is perfect for beginners; the rolling hills will challenge seasoned athletes!

INDIVIDUALS & TEAMS:  Form a team with your girlfriends or family members!  Each member of a team enters individually (no relay teams for this race) and indicates her team name on the race entry.  Teams will compete against other teams three separate categories:  MOTHER-DAUGHTER, FAMILY, GIRLFRIENDS.  Teams can consist of 2, 3, or 4 women.  The fastest average overall time wins in the category.  Women who enter as a team and do not win the team category will stay in the running for Age Group and Athena awards.

Maps coming soon!

All Entry Fees include processing fees! Entry fee includes post-race snacks and drinks, race shirt, water bottle, race timing, and a bag full of surprises.

Individual:
$60 before March 1
$65 March 1 – April 15
$70 April 16 – 25

Individual Charitable: $160 (includes $100 donation to Center Against Family Violence – 10 available)

REGISTRATION CLOSES ON APRIL 25 – NO RACE DAY REGISTRATION!!

Eagle in the Sun Triathlon is USAT-sanctioned and USAT rules will apply.

Benefiting CENTER AGAINST FAMILY VIOLENCE, which provides confidential assistance, educational programs and, most importantly, hope to families in need.

USAT Membership: All athletes must be members of USA Triathlon to compete. If you do not have an annual membership, you must purchase a one-day pass for $12.  Every athlete must pick up his or her own race packet.  On-site packet pickup will require photo proof of identity (driver’s license, passport, etc).

Estimated Swim Time: Enter your best estimated 300-yard swim time during registration.  You will not be required to update your time, but you can update it through April 25 by sending an email with your new time to raceelpasoregister@gmail.com.

Awards: Awards will be given to the Top Female Overall, Top Family Team, Top Mother/Daughter Team, and Top Girlfriends Team.  First through third place will be awarded for females in each of the following categories:  14 & Under, 15-16, 17-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70+. First through third place will be awarded to Athenas (Females 150+ lbs) Under 40 and Athenas (Females 150+ lbs) 40+.

MOST COMMONLY VIOLATED USAT RULES

TIPS ON WHAT TO WEAR

RACE WEEKEND SCHEDULE COMING SOON!

REFUNDS & TRANSFERS:  A partial refund of your triathlon registration fee minus $30 will be given up to March 15 for requests made in writing to the race director (no emails). Mail requests to Race El Paso, P.O. Box 23208, El Paso, TX  79923.   After March 15, no refunds will be given. There are no transfers allowed.

Travel:  Coming soon!

Parking: Parking at the race site is limited and we strongly encourage carpooling.  Athletes will receive a parking permit at packet pickup and are encouraged to bring any family members/spectators in their cars.  Please plan ahead and arrive early.

Carpool:  Check out PickupPal or get in touch with other triathletes in your area and plan to ride together.

Carbon Offsets:  Ever wonder how much your travel costs the Earth?  Consider paying it forward by offsetting your travel emissions through NativeEnergy. The money goes to renewable energy projects such as wind farms that would not otherwise be built.

Bike Rentals:  Road bike rentals are available at Crazy Cat Cyclery – Airport (915.772.9666) and The Bicycle Company (915.544.2453) on a first-come, first-served basis.  Reserve early!

Chip Timing: Coming soon!

Flying Horse 5K RESULTS

Eagle in the Sun Triathlon VIDEO

EAGLE IN THE SUN TRIATHLON

FLYING HORSE HALF MARATHON & 5K RUN

Flying Horse Half Marathon RESULTS

Flying Horse 5K RESULTS

Flying Horse PICTURES!

Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino

November 12, 2011 – 8am

***PLEASE NOTE:  ONLINE REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED; PLEASE VISIT THE ATHLETE EXPO ON FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11 FROM 3-7:30pm at Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino (Signature Showroom) TO REGISTER!***

Event Description:  Flying Horse Half is a 13.1-mile road race that begins and ends at Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino.  The run takes athletes on a flat course in the Upper Valley area of El Paso.  Half marathoners will run the final mile on a racetrack, where they’ll be captured on live video. The 5k Run offers an abbreviated course.

COURSE MAP

START/FINISH DETAIL MAP

All Entry Fees include processing fees! Entry fee includes post-race snacks and drinks, technical (moisture-wicking) race shirt, finisher gift for half marathon finishers, race timing, and more.  NO RACE DAY REGISTRATION!

Please note: No strollers  or pets will be allowed on the race course.

Half Marathon: $60 through November 10
$70 November 11 (EXPO Registration)

5k Run: $30 through November 10
$40 November 11 (EXPO Registration)

Military Discount: $10 off Half Marathon registration (Coupon code:  USA#1) – MUST SHOW MILITARY ID AT PACKET PICKUP.

PACKET PICKUP & ATHLETE EXPO: Friday, November 11  3pm-7:30pm at Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino (Signature Showroom).

Awards: Awards will be given to the Top Male Overall and Top Female Overall.  First through third place will be awarded for males and females in the half marathon and 5k races for each of the following categories:  19 & Under, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70+.

REFUNDS & TRANSFERS:  A partial refund of your registration fee minus $30 will be given up to October 15 for requests made by email to the race director (raceelpaso@gmail.com).   After October 15, no refunds will be given.  There are no transfers allowed.

HOST HOTEL: Holiday Inn Sunland Park (900 Sunland Park Drive) is offering a special rate of $69 for Flying Horse participants.  Please request the “Flying Horse” rate.