Splash'n'Dash September 2012 race report.
We "missed" the August S&D because we were in Quebec, having just finish an Ironman, but we're given the understand that it was rainy and cool. And September S&D was.. unseasonably cool (80s), meaning that EVERY SINGLE S&D IN 2012 WAS UNSEASONABLY COOL. That's just weird. And maybe it means they should hold more S&Ds.
I haven't really been swimming much since IMMT. I haven't really been doing a whole ton of anything, but especially swimming. So I was a little scared of how this would feel, but it ended up being okay. Right before the swim start, Laura turned to me and Pam and basically said, "St. Elmo's Fire. You're welcome." Because THAT'S what I want in my head the whole race.
I started off fast, watching all the fast swimmers fade into the distance, but I ended up finding a pair of feet by the first buoy, and miraculously stayed on them the entire time. That's nearly unheard of for me. But they were juuuust a little bit faster than me, and I had to work to stay on them, which is perfect. She wasn't necessarily the best at sighting, and a few times I thought I was going to have to abandon my feet just so I didn't add distance, but she'd always veer back into my path and still be ahead of me, so I'd jump back on. In the end, my swim was 13:18, which is a little slower than my last few months, a little faster than the first few in the season, so I'm happy.
I did accidentally hit my drafty feet with a fingernail (yes, I hadn't cut my nails because I've fallen out of the habit of swim-racing, but they weren't bad. Honest!) near the end, and felt bad.
Transition was oddly surreal because one of my ears was completely full of water, making it sort of quiet and echoy, and it was just quiet in that area in general, with nobody cheering in the swimmers, so .. surreal.
Fumbled into my shoes slowly and ran up the hill.
Matt (whose hip decided he shouldn't race) and the puppies were cheering for me as I started the run, which was wonderful. I settled in and just tried to fall into sustainable suffering. My first loop is always warmup, no matter if I warmed up before the race. I took a cup of water that loop. The second loop I tried to pick it up more. At some point I passed Laura and, even though I hadn't had St. Elmo's Fire stuck in my head thus far (oddly, I had randomly had Missing You the whole swim, thanks brain), I sang, "I CAN SEE ST. ELMO'S FIRING BURNING IN YOOOUUU" as I ran by.
As I ran by the start line for the last time and enjoyed the wall of cheering, I decided I was going to pick it up and push the last loop. Felt decent to do that, and finished strong.
I figured I had managed sub-30, but alas just barely missed it with a 30:08. The good news is, I definitely got faster each loop with 5:27, 5:23 and 5:08.
The even better news, which I didn't realize until I got home, was I was 6th woman. Normally I just barely miss top 10, so it was nice to just barely miss top 5/the people who get awards! Of course, it wasn't a just barely thing, because I was more than 2 minutes behind 5th place, which is a lot in so short a race. But still! Hurray, late-season attrition! (Also how does it always look like there are 20 women ahead of me on the swim, but I come in 6th place? I swear I didn't pass that many women on the run.)
So a nice way to close out the S&D season, and I'll enjoy not having to do one again until next Spring!
I haven't really been swimming much since IMMT. I haven't really been doing a whole ton of anything, but especially swimming. So I was a little scared of how this would feel, but it ended up being okay. Right before the swim start, Laura turned to me and Pam and basically said, "St. Elmo's Fire. You're welcome." Because THAT'S what I want in my head the whole race.
I started off fast, watching all the fast swimmers fade into the distance, but I ended up finding a pair of feet by the first buoy, and miraculously stayed on them the entire time. That's nearly unheard of for me. But they were juuuust a little bit faster than me, and I had to work to stay on them, which is perfect. She wasn't necessarily the best at sighting, and a few times I thought I was going to have to abandon my feet just so I didn't add distance, but she'd always veer back into my path and still be ahead of me, so I'd jump back on. In the end, my swim was 13:18, which is a little slower than my last few months, a little faster than the first few in the season, so I'm happy.
I did accidentally hit my drafty feet with a fingernail (yes, I hadn't cut my nails because I've fallen out of the habit of swim-racing, but they weren't bad. Honest!) near the end, and felt bad.
Transition was oddly surreal because one of my ears was completely full of water, making it sort of quiet and echoy, and it was just quiet in that area in general, with nobody cheering in the swimmers, so .. surreal.
Fumbled into my shoes slowly and ran up the hill.
Matt (whose hip decided he shouldn't race) and the puppies were cheering for me as I started the run, which was wonderful. I settled in and just tried to fall into sustainable suffering. My first loop is always warmup, no matter if I warmed up before the race. I took a cup of water that loop. The second loop I tried to pick it up more. At some point I passed Laura and, even though I hadn't had St. Elmo's Fire stuck in my head thus far (oddly, I had randomly had Missing You the whole swim, thanks brain), I sang, "I CAN SEE ST. ELMO'S FIRING BURNING IN YOOOUUU" as I ran by.
As I ran by the start line for the last time and enjoyed the wall of cheering, I decided I was going to pick it up and push the last loop. Felt decent to do that, and finished strong.
I figured I had managed sub-30, but alas just barely missed it with a 30:08. The good news is, I definitely got faster each loop with 5:27, 5:23 and 5:08.
The even better news, which I didn't realize until I got home, was I was 6th woman. Normally I just barely miss top 10, so it was nice to just barely miss top 5/the people who get awards! Of course, it wasn't a just barely thing, because I was more than 2 minutes behind 5th place, which is a lot in so short a race. But still! Hurray, late-season attrition! (Also how does it always look like there are 20 women ahead of me on the swim, but I come in 6th place? I swear I didn't pass that many women on the run.)
So a nice way to close out the S&D season, and I'll enjoy not having to do one again until next Spring!