Sportybrains

Wow, where should I start on this one? I'm coming off one great weekend of racing and team bonding at yesterday's Memorial Hermann Ironman 70.3 Galveston.

To set the stage I was slated to participate as a relay swimmer for "Team High Volte-age" (clever name for the Volte Endurance team, huh?!) and had two athletes I coach participating in this very well-organized event. Being a swimmer in a relay race was definitely a first, but I feel I nailed my prep as perfectly as possible. This weekend was a bit on the epic side, but I'll keep the report as brief as possible.

Saturday my athletes and I arrived for all the pre-race protocols, expo, and a little R&R (and I mean little). I'm always reminded when I attend these events how great the endurance sports community is. Walking around the expo site it was great seeing all the athletes, coaches, and colleagues I know; wishing them well and talking shop for a bit. I was amazed at how relaxed my athletes seemed: Kelly B., Kelley D., and myself had the luxury of less pressure competing as a relay team, but Kelly W. and Dawn impressed me: 70.3 miles on the horizon plus two transitions and smiling and laughing throughout the day.

Even though I already consider myself a mentally tough athlete, I was almost surprised at how little anxiety I felt about the 1.2 mile swim ahead of me. Basically, I felt in control of whatever happened out there and was determined to enjoy every minute of it. That and swim fast and be competitive.

We spent a lot of time at Moody Gardens and I was able to survey the swim course as much as I felt I needed to; studied the buoy placement, checked out the start area, and wrapped my head around the long loop in Offat's Bayou. I even had lunch looking at the course front and center. Each time I looked out at the water, the more comfortable with it I became. Perfect. Once I was satisfied with the mental picture I had of race day-it was all about hanging with the girls and  being a coach. Tomorrow was going to be special.

Sunday morning came quickly and I was glad to get a good 7-8 hours sleep in before heading to the race site. Gear was packed, re-packed, and checked twice (especially the wet suit in 65 degree water!) and off we were. My swim wave was the last to go off-with the other relay participants and 18-24 year old men so I had a lot of time to talk to my athletes, stretch, and get ready to lead us off, which was nice because I never once felt rushed.

Team # 2515 flexing our guns before the start!

Soon enough, it was time to line up in yellow cap wave. I began getting focused on the task ahead, adjusted my gear one last time, took a PowerBar Gel (thanks, guys-as always!), and did my typical routine of stretching and bouncing around to stay loose. The dock we jumped off of was rather long and waves were going off every few minutes. Each step became more exciting-I was about to swim the furthest open-water swim ever to date-and it was only my third time outside the pool lanes! Instead of being scary-I saw it as an opportunity do be successful and get the team off on a smooth day. My strategy was simple. Swim from buoy to buoy focused on maximum reach and creating my own space and divide the race into 1/3rds.

Finally 8:35 arrived and it was showtime. After a quick prayer with the Kellys and an even longer lead-up, it was off to the dock. I  jumped into the cold water and was taken aback by how buoyant I was in both the salt water and wetsuit. Perfect. I took a few practice strokes, positioned myself, sighted my line, and then we were off in a fury of arms, legs, and splashing. Of course, and as expected, I was caught in the scrum of yellow-boxed in and having to maneuver around the others. As I approached the dock, I reminded myself to swim how I knew how to and ignore what the others were doing (i.e. panicking or not on my pace). This ties into my "thematic content of the first 1/3 rd of the swim: "rhythm and control". Those two words worked perfectly and after about 300 meters I really started to feel the water and my stroke. Awesome-it's gonna be a good swim.

I was surprised by how easy it was to sight and plan turns and maneuvers. After turning at the first red buoy-a well-executed barrel turn I may add:), I hit more traffic. These are those areas on the course where I need to expect some chaos in future races. The second 1/3 of the course I maintained my strategy, still amazed by how easy it actually felt. I give Bill Crews props for his pointed on not ever fighting the suit or the water. This section was all about taking control of my race (or split) The crowd had thinned out and I was lost count of how many athletes I passed out there-always a good feeling. My technique felt great-lots of pressure behind long strokes. I kept thinking  to myself "you're swimming like a boss out here, nothing to this..." Except for a random smack from somebody on the back of my head-nice easy middle portion. I was having fun.

The final stretch came quickly and I could see the docked paddle-wheeler boat and swim exit ahead. Knowing it was near impossible to swim off-course, I put my head down and powered through, breathing every 3 strokes just like in training. The swim exit was manageable and I was able to not get caught up in the shuffle. I had just enough gas to spring up to transition where Kelly B. was waiting to take off on the 56 mile bike leg. Gasping for air and smiling, passed off the timing chip and off she went. That is where I found out that I hit the time I was looking for for the 1.2 miles: 36 minutes and change. Supposedly there had only been one or two other female "yellow caps" out of the water before me. Sweet! Respectable for a girl known as a running triathlete.

For the rest of the time, I got a training run along the seawall in-still sporting my new Volte Endurance kit and supported the Kellys out on the course. I'm especially proud of Kelly B. for not only getting out of her comfort zone on the ride, but fixing a flat on her own accord. She's also virtually brand-new to cycling. Both teammates did an awesome job and we worked very well together.

As for Kelly W. and Dawn, both were very impressive as this was merely a "training through" race with little rest beforehand. Kelly threw down an 11-minute PR and Dawn scared hers. WTG ladies! They were definitely fun to watch. Bottom line, the team did beautifully and I'm a proud coach.

This race is a soft start to my delayed racing season for 2013. There were many takeaways-especially what happens when you approach an event with a relaxed intensity. If I carry this mindset over into running-there's no telling what I can accomplish. On the most simple level, however-I was racing again. And it felt just like it should: the perfect blend of energy, enthusiasm, and intensity.

Congrats to everyone who raced over the weekend! Positive words also go out to title sponsor Memorial Hermann Sports Medicine-who put on a well-organized, first-class event.

Stay the course.