Half Way There

The first five triathlons have come and gone. It seemed like I would never get to the halfway point. ( I will post the race recap from tri #5 later tonight) Taking on this challenge I had no clue of what I would face along the way, I have taken on a an open water coach, been joined by another triathlete to also help raise money for the ranch, I have had strong moments and weak ones. Every moment and challenged me and every time I see the kids at the ranch or hear their stories, hear the challenges they are facing I remember that it is all worth it.

I am excited to finish this challenge, I have five triathlons left, 1 sprint, 3 olympic distances and 1 half iron distance. I hope that this six months of racing 10 triathlons will only lead to bigger things for the Flying T Youth Ranch. I am off to workout, see you at the finish line!

Brooke

Trek Women’s Triathlon 4 of 10

This past Sunday’s race was a last minute decision for me, a temptation from a fellow triathlete. I was overwhelmed all week heading into the race. I had my first “Why ten triathlons?” moment, I had my first I’m tired of racing moment. This past week was a lot of firsts for me. After a light swim Friday and a short run Saturday I felt rested and was ready once again for Trek, thankful my doubtful moments were behind me. I slept great Saturday night, which was once again a first for me.

Race morning was smooth and fairly quiet, I went through my warm up feeling good. I even had a desire to race! I decided to take the front inside line in the swim. The first leg of the swim was directly into the sun and it was nearly impossible to spot the buoy. I worked off a tow

er in the distance until I got close enough to see the actual buoy. My plan for the inside worked as most swimmers took to the outside: Thankfully I was able to swim unimpeded for the first half. Before the first buoy I had caught the end of the wave before me. The waters got a bit more congested and I had to swim through fading racers. I popped out of the water and got the signal that I was 5^th. Once again I was surprised and my placing, a lot of training and prayer goes into my swim and a good swim leg is something I never take for granted.

The bike course I knew was pretty much flat and so there was no reason to not go hard. It was a pretty uneventful bike, most exciting moment was shaking the lady who was unknowingly drafting off me, see not to much excitement. I used my time on the flats to refuel and hydrate as it was going to be hot! I came into T2 having moved up a few more spots.

The run I knew would be hilly and all trails as I have run this course before. Coming off the bike my legs were more wobbly than normal and I was working hard just to not trip over them. I hit the trails and kept thinking to myself, “pace Brooke pace”; this is area I am trying to grow in. One girl in my age group passed me

on the run, she had a sick pace that I could just not hold to. Even though the race was only a sprint I was wishing for some porta-potties as all the water I drank on the bike was catching up to me. I crossed over the finish line and headed straight for the bathrooms. In the end I place 3^rd in my age group and 19^th overall, I couldn’t be more blessed with those results but I also know not every race will be that successful, it is remembering to have fun and keeping focused on why I am racing. There are so many kids who need hope and to learn to trust, kids who need a place to heal and a place to grow. Racing is a platform to share about a bunch of people who want to encourage and show kids love. These triathlons are also a chance to encourage others to do the same.

Silicon Valley Sprint Triathlon 3 of 10

I was extremely tired coming into the SVST. The week before my workouts didn’t seem on par. I decided by Thursday that I would take the race easy; my goal was just to get triathlon three under my belt. Race morning did not bring good news, instead it brought sickness. I racked my bike, set up transition and kept debating in my head whether or not I should pull out, there was no gas in the tank. After some time in prayer I decided to continue on, if I had to drop out during the race I would simply pull to the side and hand in my timing chip. Right before the race started I downed a nuun electrolyte drink and headed my pale face down to the water.

I positioned myself at the back right of my wave. I figured if how I felt translated to my race performance I would be SLOW! There tended to be quite a few eager beavers in my group, at the gun they burst out and then dropped off about 75yards out. I started slow and then to my shear delight I got a tiny burst of adrenalin. I started picking up my pace, which resulted in having to swim around a lot of people. The most amazing thing is I felt like I was being carried through the entire swim, I kept stretching out my stroke and kept passing people. It was like God was making a way for me through the waters, I remembered that verse that says, “When you pass through the waters I will be with you and they will not sweep over you”. That was the most amazing feeling ever. I spotted about every 15 strokes not wanting to waste energy. I came in strong, unaware that I was 4^th out of the water in my wave.

The bike course was crazy! I did not enjoy this part of the race. If you’re strong on the bike and you do a lot of passing, this would not be your course. The path wove through a park on paved trails that were split down the middle with cones. My wave was heading out on bike as the elite/29 and under male were coming in. Guys coming in and girls going out were all jockeying for real estate to pass. It was a bit dangerous. There was a nice hill with a terrible false summit. I had pushed hard up the first half only to find the same hill waiting for me past the false summit. I pushed hard and moved up a spot on the ride, happier I was another leg closer to the finish.

I must have been happy go lucky by the time I got to the run I just wanted to finish as strong as I could. First thing I did in transition was take my helmet off, no more Mermaid repeats for me. The run course was around the lake and pretty much flat, I could hear the lead male crossing the finish line when I was about a mile into my run. With what was left in me I laid it out there, dropping back a spot and finishing 4^th in my age group. I was extremely happy with the results as I had started the morning wondering if I should even race. I thank God that at moments he multiplies even our tiniest efforts.

Mermaid Triathlon Recap 2 of 10

I was excited to race the Mermaid Triathlon in Alameda even though it meant getting the gross taste of salt water in my mouth. I didn’t dread swimming in the ocean, I didn’t dread the transition from bike to run, my entire focus was on what was the fastest way to get the taste of nasty gym socks out of my mouth.

Race morning went off without a hitch. My race morning schedule helps me keep my head focused. Once that magic time comes I go into the zone. This race I had all my training buddies with me, so to keep things light, I raced down to their wave start and pulled out my “race morning schedule” to give them all a chuckle. They think it’s funny that I schedule time to get dressed, fuel up or visit the long line of port-a-potties. Entertainment that’s what I am here for!

The water in the bay felt good. I like swimming in the ocean, you are buoyant and your hips pop right out of the water. The count down came and once again I got myself right into the thick of it, I seam to have an addiction to the lead pack madness. At Morgan Hill I forced myself to wait and stay to the outside, but with more confidence in this race my goal was for a smooth start. I hung in with the madness and managed to emerge from the water 8^th in my wave and I think 6^th for my age group. I was surprised at my swim finish and wanted to thank God for a smooth swim but I decided maybe it was best if I did that on the bike.

The bike course at Mermaid, Alameda is pretty much a cakewalk except for the poor street quality on one of the roads. I felt strong after my swim and went out hard on the bike knowing the course was relatively flat. Being that the first wave left a full 40 minutes ahead of me and the bike course was an out and back double loop course, it made for a lot of passing. I confess I love to pick people off on the bike, you put them in your sights and then reel them in making sure to say “good job!” as you pass. I liked knowing the Fleet Feet Ladies I trained with were on the course and so whenever I passed a FF friend I gave a shout out and cheered them on.

By the time I got to the run I was breathing pretty hard and I guess the lack of oxygen to the brain was the cause of me gunning it out of transition with my bike helmet still on. Thankfully my two friends/mentors were standing right outside the “run out” andthey quickly alerted me that this run course was not “full-contact” and that I would not be in need of my helmet, so I tossed it to them for safekeeping. I did what I could on the run but hindsight always makes me think I could have put more out.

All in all Mermaid puts on a great triathlon, it’s organized and fun, I would totally recommend it to someone looking for a fun beginners sprint. The ease of the course allowed me to experiment with my racing skills and I was pleased with my race in the end.

Gallery Update

I am busy working on updates for the blog, a recap of both Triathlons #2 and #3. In the mean time I have posted pics from all three triathlons here at:

http://theflyingtriathlete.shutterfly.com/

Enjoy the photos, thank you for all your support, please keep spreading the word!

Brooke

Twitter

Hey I just added a Twitter widget on the sidebar so I keep you updated on my training and other fun news items more often. You can find us on Twitter under @TeamFlyingT or just follow along on the blog.

Brooke

Fleet Feet P-town

The weeks have been busy and this one doesn't seem to be an exception. I have a few stories to share with you from the ranch but I will have to get to those later tonight. In the mean time I just wanted to share a photo of the Women's Triathlon group from Fleet Feet in Pleasanton. For most of the ladies the Mermaid Triathlon coming up in a few weeks will be their very first triathlon!

Fleet Feet Women's Triathlon 2010 (I'm the blue cap in the center top)

I signed up for the group because I thought the camaraderie would be fun (and it has been). There were a few different training levels coming in, but the coaches worked hard to challenge us all. I have gotten to connect with some other strong triathletes through the Fleet Feet Multi-Sport Race Club and look forward to training with them. Coach Ethan has also helped me in the ten triathlons pursuit, laying out as best we can a training plan for having races every two to three weeks. So here's to the gorgeous ladies I have had the fortune of sharing lanes and brick workouts with: I wish you all the best in your upcoming triathlon, you will be awesome!

Brooke