Hardware, baby!

That's right. My first podium finish. I raced my ass off after all of you told me to do nothing less.
The weather was absolute shite on Saturday. It is traditionally bad for this race, but it was particularly bad this year. It was pouring rain, 39 degrees, and gusting up to 30 MPH. Can you tell?

So, following the advice my coach gave me, I "raced my strength." I knew I was going to get smoked on the swim and could hold my own during the run, but that my strong leg was in the bike. This race is odd in that the run comes before the bike, so I had to keep that in mind.




The swim was a 22 lap swim in a pool (39 degrees, remember). I went out too fast and probably paid for that in the end. It's hard to reign yourself in when you can see everyone else so well. I was 6th out of the water, but went through T1 pretty quickly.









I held back a bit on the run, forging ahead on the flats and downhills, but conserving my energy for the uphills so I would have something for the very hilly and windy bike. I think I was 4th or 5th heading into T2. I was bloody freezing. My feet were sloshing around.

So I just plowed through the bike. It is a very hilly course and it seemed like there was always a head wind. I passed one woman with about 2 miles to go and another with about 1/2 mile left.
I'm not sure what I'm so happy about in these pictures. I was pretty much miserable at this point. I think that my insides were even soaked with mud and rain.
When I crossed the line I saw that last year's winner was snug in her car with the heat on full blast. I congratulated her on an amazing race and then went and hid in my own car with my husband.
He said something like "great job." I said yeah, that I felt pretty good about it given the conditions, etc. I said "I wonder how I did." He said...." You got second!"
"WHAAAAAT?" He was right. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that the there was only one woman that I didn't pass after seeing her past the turn around. I was ecstatic. Turns out I was also fourth overall, which I still have a hard time believing!
So yeah, I'm freaking out. I guess there really is something to this training business, huh? I am most excited because I improved my time from the last time I did this race by about 3 minutes despite this year's weather.
This is a link to a short story that was in the paper. Kodiak Daily Mirror
And here are the details (transition times are not broken out):
Swim (1100 yards) - 21:09
Run (5K) - 30:56
Bike (20K)- 50:18 (fastest female bike split!)
Total: 1:42.23
So, that's my story. THANK YOU ALL so much for your encouragement and getting me to race hard. It paid off and I am beyond thrilled.

Making it happpen....
Bree

But it's suppose to be a "C" race......

I keep to myself. I go along day by day, quietly and happily doing my training in my own little type A personality world. And every so often I will do a race. Take this weekend, for example. Kodiak is holding its annual triathlon: the Earth Day sprint. It's a fun race, but one I don't often take very seriously. This year is no exception. I have a more important race in May and my "A" race of the year in July, which will be my first 1/2 IM.
So this race. The Earth Day Sprint. Just suppose to be a C race. I don't care much about it because I live in a small town and there will probably only be 15 or 20 people racing anyway. I was just going to putz along and have fun. You know, treat it like a brick workout. And then I read this in today's paper:

Two ladies look to knock Van Curen off her pedestal.

Former Earth Day Triathlon winner, Tari Lindquist, and Bree Witteveen, who has been training for the Sourdough Triathlon in Fairbanks — the longest in the state — should be Van Curen’s main competition.

Um...what? Knock her off her pedestal. Hadn't really planned on it. Hadn't really even thought about it. So now I find myself with a major dilemma. I know the smartest thing to do is continue with my original plan and just have fun with it. But now it's like someone has directly challenged me. They are calling me out! I know what you are all going to say:

"Resist the urge, Bree"

"Race your plan, Bree"

But, I also know what each of you would do if you were in my speed laced shoes right now. YOU WOULD RACE YOUR ASS OFF!!!

Making it happen....or maybe I shouldn't!

Bree

P.S. It's snowing.....again.

A bit of everything

You're not going to believe this, but it's raining! Oh yes. It's true. Today is April 17th and poor Paulo has yet to see asphalt this year. I have a sprint this weekend, so things could be interesting. I am treating it as a "C" race, but, to be perfectly honest, I'm not entirely sure how to do that. Any tips?

The good news is training seems to be going very well. I worked it hard last week. Here is the lowdown:
Swim: 4350 yards
Run: 14.8 miles
Bike: 79.4 miles

I did a monster brick on Sunday, which included a 2hr45min bike followed by a 45 min run. It felt fantastic. Unfortunately, my day off is Friday, which means I haven't been able to give my legs a rest and they were a bit grouchy during my ride this morning.

I am saddened beyond words by the tragedy in Virginia. I can't even wrap my head around the numbers they keep throwing around. If it is possible to find any good in these type of events, it should be to remind us to not take our lives for granted. Be thankful for those you love and the things you love.

On a lighter note, I am getting a new kitten. Any tri related names to suggest? I will try to post pics of the litter soon.

I also have some exciting news to share about Kodiak Solstix, but I will wait until later in the week to share. Always leave them wanting more.

Making it happen,
Bree

It's all a matter of perspective

A few days ago a friend of mine called me to ask me a few questions about training and such. She is writing a story for the local paper on athletes who raise money while doing some sort of endurance event (i.e. Team In Training, Team For Kids, etc.). She asked me what the hardest part of getting into triathlon was for me. I said "learning how to swim."
A day or so later, she asked me to clarify what I meant.
"When you said learning to swim, you meant learning how to be a strong swimmer, right?"
"Nope. I needed to learn how to swim. Period."
"Are you kidding me?"
"No. I never had any coaching or classes as a kid, so I had to teach myself when I decided I wanted to finish a triathlon."
"Oh my God. You're amazing."
I laughed it off and shrugged my shoulders. Looking back now I realize how far I truly have come. I remember those first days of training when I was lucky to go 25 yards without stopping. We tend to get caught up in the day-to-day challenges or criticize ourselves for a bad race or workout. Every once in a while, I encourage you to step back and look at the bigger picture. You've come a long way....I guarantee it.

Making it happen....
Bree