Great Clermont Triathlon Festival 2012 - Race Report

Pre-race
Well, I wouldn't call it an ideal situation, but my travel itinerary to this race was TIIIIGHT! My flight from Des Moines didn't leave until 3pm and was direct to Orlando. After more than an hour spent getting my luggage and the rental car, I wasn't even on the road to Clermont until almost 8pm.  As I was making the 50 min drive, I had 2 agenda items - 1) find a Target so I could buy a car charger (I brought a cord, but mistakenly assumed all newer cars had a USB port like my '09 Honda Element. WRONG! 2) find food!  Fortunately, just a mile from my hotel, I was able to accomplish both tasks.  I was elated when I saw a Little Ceasar's Pizza joint. $5 pizza was the perfect and SAFE meal to eat a little later than I would prefer.

I lugged my bike, suitcase and pizza up to my hotel room, immediately scarfed down my dinner, then promptly built my bike.  By 9:30 I was in bed and on my way to sleep.  The alarm was set for 4am. Do the math from Central to Eastern....12 hours from flight take-off to race morning wake-up. Yeowza!


Race Morning
4am came very fast, but I was up and making my breakfast. I wanted to be at transition when it opened at 5:30 since I wasn't able to get my packet the day before, so I was out the door shortly after 5.  I was in total reliance of my Google Maps Navigation as I headed out at Dark O'Clock towards the race venue. At first I wasn't sure if I was going the right way, but soon I saw the venue, lit well and transition clearly visible. I got my packet, borrowed a tire pump from a friendly gal parked next to me, and got into transition.  I was early enough to get the end spot on the rack and quickly became the envy of all of my rack-mates. :)

First wave wouldn't go off until 7:30am, so I had lots of time to get prepped, get a warm-up in, check, double check and triple check my plan.  I would be heading out onto the course without getting to see it first, so I'd be flying blind.  I did know that there was a nice climb right out of transition, so no shoes on the pedals and get into the proper climbing gear. Check!

The water was measured at 74* so I waited to see what the locals would do - wetsuit or not.  Most opted for the wetsuit, so I did too.  We all got down to the beach, heard a beautiful performance of the national anthem, and then the first wave was off!

The Swim
I was in wave 5 so I had a bit of a wait before it was my turn.  This actually turned out to be a good thing - the first wave that went off was confused by the swim course, and it was obvious they were doing it wrong. By wave 5 we knew exactly what to do and our group was efficient.

I lined up at the front and just did my thing.  I'm not aggressive in my swim, but will position myself in front of others and make them work to get around me. (bitchy? maybe) It was a triangular swim, and during the first leg, my HR and anxiety was a bit high. It was my first OWS of the season, so I wasn't surprised.  The water was a bit choppy and I focused on finding the rhythm of the water and settling in.  I made the turn at the first buoy, and then really took off.  I started passing purple caps (my wave) and even a few caps from previous waves.  By the last leg I picked up my effort and really tried to go hard. As I was swimming up to the beach, I see a gal (ahead of me) stand up and start walking.  I kept swimming.  Then I passed her, still swimming.  And swimming. Then dolphin diving.  Eventually I stood up and came out at least :30 ahead of her. I ran up the beach and to my surprise - WETSUIT STRIPPERS! yes! Love that!

T1
The run from that area to transition was quite long and was glad my wetsuit was already off. Once at the rack, I threw my bike shoes on, sunglasses, helmet, then was out of there! The mount line was at the top of a short hill which then went right into a bigger hill that required some out-of-the-saddle action.

The Bike
People kept saying that this course was hilly, but I totally admit that I didn't believe them.  It's Florida! Their highest elevations are the causeway bridges! Um.....except for Central Florida where they actually have TRUE hills. Hills that I came unprepared for gear-wise. Short and steep. Long and grinding. It had them all, and lots of them. Aside from that, the course was beautiful and the roads were great. The course was very well marked and there were lots of patrol cars managing traffic.  I got buzzed by one vehicle, but for being my only incident of the day, I feel lucky.  I know there was some wind out there, but the course layout only really presented some headwinds a few times.  It really was perfect weather for a race!

T2
Bike In was in the same place as Bike Out, so the dismount line was on an incline.  I opted for feet out of my shoes, but came to a stop before getting off the bike. (I need to practice my dismounts a bit more, but given that this is the first race of the season, I played it safe. My CX buddies would be so disappointed in me!)  There was a long run shoot down the length of the transition area before entering. Once the bike was racked, it was on with my run shoes, grab my race belt, visor and nutrition flask, then head out. (I always put my race belt and visor on while I'm running - no need to stand around to do those things.)

The Run
The course was set up as two out and back sections - the first being about 2 miles. As I was hitting this mark (which was right around the finish area) I got to meet one of my Rev3 teammates (he was already done, and just ran up to say hi!).  The plan for the run was to take it conservatively on the first half, then amp it up on the last half. I was around the 4.75 mark when I noticed a chick in pink up ahead of me. I decided I was going to run her down (I needed some motivation).  I picked up the pace and soon was close enough to see that she was in my AG. I settled back for a moment and thought to myself "what if I pass her, then she decides to race it out? Am I willing to commit to this?" The answer: yes.  So, I leaned forward and went for it. I held that pace into the finish - :17 ahead of her. *fist pump*

Final Thoughts
This was a really good tune-up race for the season. I have some clear goals for Rev3 Knoxville and Quassy and know what I need to work on before then. Fitness-wise I'm on track (considering my setback early in the year, I'm happy where I'm at) and feel energized for the training in the weeks leading up to my next races.  I'll definitely consider doing this race again.  The entry fee was reasonable, the logistics were easy, and the quality of the event was high. Kudos to the RD!

Eating so much I'm.....starving.

Let's start with today, then I'll tell you about a few weeks ago, then the months leading up to that, and how in that time I was essentially starving - yet gaining weight.

Today I feel awesome. I sleep well at night.  I wake up easily in the morning. I have energy throughout the day, energy to get my workouts in, and my brain is fully functioning and on fire.

But a few weeks ago, this was not the case. So much the opposite, in fact, that I went to see a doctor and have some blood tests run. I was lethargic and unmotivated. I would struggle to get up in the morning, was groggy and fuzzy at work, then would come home to the couch where I didn't move until I went to bed. I was also cold...all the time! I only felt truly motivated to workout on the weekends, and just a few times during the week - very inconsistent.  I was not on track to kick off a race season at the end of March.

It was when I weighed in for my bike test that I came to the realization that I was the heaviest I have ever been in my life. BUT HOW COULD THIS BE??? - I was eating the cleanest I had ever eaten in my life over the last few months.  No processed foods, lots and LOTS of fruits and veggies, very little meat. How was it that I was gaining so much weight if I was eating so well?

With about 7 weeks until my first race, I started feeling desperate.  How was I going to pull together an olympic distance race in this condition?? I really would have been better off just taking the trip to Florida and hitting the beach instead of racing.  I was honestly considering it......and that's when I decided I needed to figure this shit out.  NOW.

I went back to the basics.  I had to first look at the functional aspects of what I was eating (carbs, protein, fat and calories).  In doing so, I discovered a few things.

• I was eating LOTS of  food, but the total calorie intake was pretty low.
• Because of the cleanliness of the food, I wasn't getting enough fat. There is a minimum amount of fat needed for the brain to function, and I wasn't getting it. This explains the grogginess.
• Because I wasn't eating a lot of meat, I was relying on the proteins in my veggies, beans, eggs, etc.  But I wasn't supplementing with other protein sources, therefor, I wasn't getting enough protein to maintain the muscle I had. I was losing that.

Essentially, my body went into starvation mode.  My metabolism slowed way down, and began to hibernate.

Armed with this new awareness, I hit the books. I did some reading and determined what a good ratio of carbs, protein and fat would be good for me based on my workout load and current body "situation".  I'm focused on a calorie deficit of around 500 (take in 500 less than my calculated burn) because at the end of the day, calories OUT must be equal to or less than calories IN to maintain or lose weight, respectively. I've split my calories up into 5 meals a day so that I'm not eating huge meals. Doing this (eating a BALANCED "meal" each time), I've found that it's HARD to get all of my calories in for the day because I don't feel hungry! But, I find ways to do it, because the proof is in the numbers.

I'm two weeks into my new fueling plan (I'm calling it a fueling plan instead of a diet...it makes each meal feel  like it has purpose) and am down 6 pounds.  As I said earlier in the post, my energy is back! I get things done - especially around the house - and don't want to just sit on the couch. I don't expect this level of weight loss to continue - this is just the jump in my metabolism going from hibernating bear to raging lion!

I'm still making it a priority to eat very clean, but I'm making sure to get the nutrition I need to keep my body moving. Minimal processed foods throughout the week (a Powerbar between double workouts is acceptable) and the weekly cheat day to keep the body guessing and the mind from going crazy. (Fondu party this weekend that I'm saving my cheat day for!) Other than that, it is steel cut oats, brown rice, veggies, fruit, low fat cheese and lean meats. My love for cooking has been sparked again. I spend lots of time in the kitchen preparing my meals. My naturally creative side is coming out through my food, and I'm pretty proud of some of the stuff I've come up with. Getting a weekly bin from the local CSA-type group keeps a good variety of fruits and veggies rotating through my refrigerator, and keeps my creativity going!

I guess I wanted to get this out there for anyone else that is struggling. I really wanted to go clean with my eating, but it has to be done RIGHT. There are fundamental principals of what your body needs to function. If you give it the minimum, you'll get the minimum in return. Give it the right stuff, and it will perform like a well oiled machine. No gimmicky pills or shakes with false promises on shiny wrappers. 

Eat real food. 

Know what your food is worth nutritionally. 

Get the most bang for your buck. 

Call for Donations - Get a FREE Remembrance Shirt

Ok folks, here's my plea for donations!

We are almost 1 month away from the Rev3 team rolling out of Oceanside, CA and starting their journey across the US.

April 5-6, I'll be jumping into the rotation down in Oklahoma to log my own miles, in honor and remembrance of the loved ones in my life who have fought the battle against cancer - win or lose.

As I run, I want to carry with me the names of those loved ones - AND YOUR LOVED ONES. So, I'm going to put together a remembrance shirt.  Here's what I need you to do.

1) Go to http://rev3tri.com/america/raa-news/ and make a donation. On the second page of the submission, you can choose a team member's name to donate on behalf of - choose my name (that's Rachelle Little, in case you are a creepy internet friend who only knows me by my screen name).

2) Email me, post on my FB wall, send me a tweet (@LittleRachet) that you donated, and the names of your loved ones who have fought the battle.  I'll do three sections - "Survivors", "Fighters" and "In Remembrance", Let me know which section each name belongs in.

3) If you donate at least $50, I will send you one of these shirts. (Be sure to include your size when you send me the names.)

4) Get your donation in by March 24th - that's when I'll send the shirt to the printer.

Come on folks. This is a fantastic EFFORT from a fantastic TEAM for a fantastic CAUSE.

Be a part of something special.

What's it worth to ya?

So, a lot of my Rev3 teammates are posting challenges in exchange for donations to the Run Across America event. Most have to do with pictures of them in our new sparkley Rev3 swimsuits.  I'll save you the torture - you don't want to see that from me.

 

But what would entice you to donate?? 

 

We are shooting for $100,000 by the time the team reaches Washington D.C after 21 days of straight running.  My 24-hours will be spent around the Tulsa, OK area.  (Read more of the details here: http://rev3tri.com/america/raa-news/)

 

I'm looking for ideas.  I thought about some funky hair color, but being a newly hired employee, it isn't in my best interest professionally to walk in with blue and yellow streaks in my hair.

 

What do you think? What would you be willing to hand over $50-100+ to the Ulman Cancer Fund in exchange for?

 

Let me hear it....