IRON GIRL SANDY HOOK 2015 RACE REPORT

IRON GIRL SANDY HOOK 2015 RACE REPORT

Iron Girl Sandy Hook went down in history last weekend.  Again, Caitlin and I did the race as a team and I have to admit that I really love this race.  Its a great all female race that isn't foofy or frilly.  The swim and bicycle course are a bit more challenging but no one is really hardcore to the point where they're out to hurt someone.  Race day was a bit more organized this year as in the pathways were lit up much better.  Caitlin and I agreed that this is going to be our mother/daughter triathlon every year.

PACKET PICKUP:
Iron Girl offered packet pickup the day before the race at the Atlantic Highlands Regional School.  Everything was pretty much the same this year as it was last year.  Caitlin and I bought a couple of really nice Iron Girl shirts while at the expo.  I decided against racking my bike the night before because the forecast was calling for rain all night long into the morning.  Like many other participants, I simply racked my bike the morning of and had no issues. Iron Girl also offers race day packet pickup.  If you decide to go that route, get there as early as possible. The line gets incredibly long, incredibly fast.  The line and stress aren't worth it in my opinion, but it is an option.

RACE DAY MORNING:

This year I decided to leave a few minutes later than last year AND I even remembered to bring my headlamp this time.  We left our house at 4:15 am and arrived at parking lot by 5:25 am.  I had absolutely no problems getting into the lot and finding a very convenient parking spot.  Unlike last year, I made sure to bring everything with me into transition this year.  I knew the walk between the parking lot and transition is VERY far (one mile, give or take) so I made sure that I left nothing in the car this time.

Iron Girl must have received last years message because the pathways were lit up much better this year and they seemed to have more volunteers directing everyone towards transition.  Last year many of us were wandering around the Sandy Hook barracks looking for transition with no lighting and no direction on where to go.  Iron Girl dialed it in this year.

THE SWIM:
After racking my bike, I got my swim gear together and headed to the beach where the swim start would take place.  The swim is in a bay and the weather was cloudy, windy and very chilly.  The water was choppy and I knew it was going to get interesting out there.

I decided to do a warm up swim and instantly realized how choppy the waves were and how the current kept pushing me towards the right.  I suspected that several participants would bail out on the swim either beforehand or during the race. I turned out to be correct on this assessment. This was one of those swims where you needed to be mentally prepared.
As I watched the swim heats take off (my heat was near the end), I saw a few women being plucked from the water and being brought back to shore in a small boat.  Another woman was clinging to a paddleboard while the lifeguard was pushing her back to shore.  I have to admit that I was a little nervous, but I knew I could do the swim as long as I started out slowly and got my mind right.

Finally, it was our turn to go in. While in transition, Caitlin and I had met a really nice team.  They were 2 young females (young compared to me) who were doing the race together.  The young gal doing the swim urged me to come to the front of the line with her. She advised me to stay as far left as possible since the current was pushing everyone towards the right.  I knew she was correct, but staying towards the left in that current and chop wasn't going to be easy.  And easy it was not!

As I started swimming, the first thing I noticed was how quickly the pack separated.  I was able to find my own space but every time I rotate to air, I got a big mouthful of water instead.  I stopped swimming for a moment and bobbed just to get a lungful of air. But it didn't matter because a wave washed over me anyway. I continued this stop/start swim method a few times until I finally accepted the fact that the constant stopping and starting was only setting me back. Iron Girl had a floating dock in between a couple of buoys but no one could use it because everyone kept getting pushed too far to the right.  Essentially the floating dock was useless.  The lifeguards noticed that most of the swimmers were being shoved towards the right so they made sure to stay as far right as possible to keep the swimmers safe.

Strangely enough, I wasn't scared.  I just wanted to swim as much as I could without stopping.  So I put my head down and I started swimming, thinking about how important technique would be in this situation.  I did everything possible to avoid lifting my head for air because the head lifting was slowing me down significantly. If there's anything that I've learned in all of my open water swimming this past summer, its the importance of rotating for air without lifting your damn head. Turn your head as if its resting on a pillow.

I kept on going without stopping and I got to a point where I could see sand, rocks and shells at the bottom.  It was then that I knew I was coming to end of the swim.  I felt both happy and sad.  I think I'm really falling in love with open water swimming.  Ok, I know I am.  I swam as close to shore as I could, stood up and made a beeline out of the water and ran for the transition area.  It was time to grab Lexa and bike.  A nice man was standing off to the side cheering and high fiving each female as she exited the water.  Whoever you are, thank you!

THE BIKE COURSE:
The bicycle course was the same this year as it was last year; a two-loop out and back course totaling 16 miles.  Last year, I had the wind at my back as I headed out and the wind at my face as I headed back. But this year was different.

The sun was finally breaking through the clouds, but the wind remained. I was nervous at first that I would feel cold on the bike, especially since I was wet from the swim, but I felt really comfortable with the air temperature.

As I headed out to the turn-around I noticed the wind was hitting me from the side this year.  I mentally accepted that I would have to deal with the wind in both directions.  And deal with it I did, as did everyone else.  I got into aero position, screamed "on your left" to anyone blocking the left and motored along.  The bike course is flat and scenic.  I felt really, really good on the bike, even with the wind pushing against me.  All I kept hearing was my brothers voice yelling "pedal, pedal, pedal". 

I can't complain about anyone hogging the left side of the road because no one really did.  If a cyclist needed to pass someone, she would pass on the left and then move back to the right again.  And in case you're wondering yes, I do the same thing.  Pass on the left, move back to the right.  It was an awesome group of ladies to be on the bicycle course with!

THE RUN:

This year again, Caitlin did the 5k run.  It wasn't as hot this year as it was last year and she settled into the run better this year. She ran around the barracks and buildings that make up the lower half of Sandy Hook. Meanwhile spectators lined the street and cheered the athletes on.

I got to see the teammate from the other team that we had met in transition.  She had a beautiful looking run and she was FAST! I gave her a shout out as she flew by. Caitlin didn't train for the run, so I had no idea how long it was going to take her.  She ended up completing it in 42 minutes, which surprised me a bit. 

I waited near the finish line and saw her sail home as the announcer said "Caitlin Tell you are an Iron Girl".  Plus, it was her birthday the day before so it felt extra special.  I love seeing her come across the finish line.  And even though I'm allowed to run through the finish chute with her, I prefer to let her have that moment to herself.

IN CLOSING:
There was plenty of food and beverages for the athletes in the after party tent.  I grabbed an egg , ham and cheese sandwich while Caitlin opted for a buttered bagel.  They had water, coffee, juice, yogurt, sandwiches, bagels...plenty of food.  Unfortunately, they ran out of medals towards the end.  A shipment of medals went missing in the mail.  They made sure to get every finishers bib number who didn't receive a medal and they mailed our medals to us about a week later.  Not receiving the medal onsite was a bit of bummer, but that's life.  I see no reason to bash Iron Girl over it since things happen.  We ended up finishing in 3rd place (for 2 person team).  Last year we were in last place, so 3rd place was an improvement. We walked back to the car and made it out of the parking lot pretty quickly.  We had a great time at a great race. Thank you Iron Girl and we'll see you again next year.