USA Triathlon Age Group Nationals Sprint Distance was my A race this year.  This one race was everything that I had been training for the whole summer; all the physical therapy, training, and all the races I had previously done were to get into shape for nationals.  Was it all worth it?  Did all of that work pay off?  Well….

Since nationals was on a Sunday up in Milwaukee, WI, my family and I left for the race Saturday afternoon.  Sticking with race tradition, I slept the whole way up to Milwaukee, two and a half hours of some wild dreams of cheese?  I later found out that my mom and sister were talking about all the cheese stores on the way up and making up names for them; Cheese Emporium, Cheese’s R Us, Xtreme Cheese.  Maybe this is why a talking cheese was the star of all my dreams.  

Once we got up at the event site, everywhere you looked there was someone with race numbers tattooed all over their body, or someone with their fancy time trail bikes.  I was in heaven!  It was awesome seeing everyone with their different bike set ups.  It definitely gave me some ideas on how to make Cecelia look even more amazing then she already is!  After I picked up my race packet, we walked around the expo area for a bit, then went to look at the swim course and transition area.  I started to get nervous.  All I could think of is, “This is it!  This is nationals. This is what you have been waiting for all summer.  What would happen if I didn’t do well?  What if I was DFL?”  All these thoughts were spinning through my head.  And let me tell you, this is not a good feeling to have right before your A race.  I just didn’t want to disappoint anyone, especially myself.  After putting Cecelia into the transition area, we went to the hotel.  As I was walking in (wearing some of my ABD spirit gear), I hear someone shouting,”Hey ABD.”  I come to find out the man calling my name and I had some mutual acquaintances.  We were standing in the hotel lobby for what had to have been 45minutes.  He was telling about the race course since he had completed the Olympic distance earlier in the day.  He had some good tips on what to watch out for and where the “slight hills” were.  A while after we started talking, his wife joined him and introduced herself.  She was telling me how she was in disbelief, when none other then  CHRISSY WELLINGTON placed the finishers metal around her neck and gave her a kiss on the cheek at the finish line!  omg… OMG!  Would Chrissy Wellington be at the sprint race?  I would die, DIE I tell you, if my idol was the one to put my finishers metal on me.  When I realized the time, I excused myself to find my parents.  My Mom was sure to be in a panic since she thought I was right behind her.   Before I left, they invited me out to Kansas to a race that they host and decided the wife would be my sherpa (one of the cutest/sweetest couples I have met)! 

The night before the race, my pressed in stone rituals could not have gone any worse.  We had to wait 45 minutes before getting seated for dinner, which we were already an hour behind for.  This threw off my scheduled bed time by almost 2hours.  That means I wouldn’t be asleep until almost 10:30pm.  Needless to say, I was mad at the world that night.  Once we finally got back to the hotel room, my family left to walk around the city and give me a chance to get to sleep.  I was very happy that I waited to listen to the “StuffYouShouldKnow” podcast from that week.  The sounds of the podcasters, Josh and Chuck explaining how diving bells work relaxed me so I could drift off to sleep.  This has become part of my race night/morning rituals, I listen to these podcast before every race to calm my nerves.  They always get my mind off the thought of racing with their knowledge of the most random topics.  I would kick some major booty at bar trivia! 

Race morning, my lovely mother wakes me up at 5:45am!!!!  I had nearly 3 hours before my wave went off at 8:55am.  What was I going to do with all that time?!?  I couldn’t fall back to sleep, so I changed into my tri-suit and gathered all my racing equipment in my clear baggy (no backpacks allowed) and headed down to transition with my Dad to set up.  Mom and Krystal would meet us there.  

Transition was set up with all the girls in my AG within 2 feet of each other.  It was curse and a blessing; I could scope out who was my major competition and who I wouldn’t have to worry about so much.  While setting up my area, I hear a women on the speaker announcing that there would be no swim warm-up from 7am-9am as scheduled.  @#%$!   Well, that’s one way to ruin my warmup plan.  FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC!  When I was done setting up, I walked back to the hotel to grab my road bike for my pre race warm up.  We were not allowed to take our bikes out of transition once they were in.  I road down the streets of the city for 30 minutes, I then would start the quest to meet my father and switch out bike for wetsuit…  I assumed we would met by the transition area because that would be the most logical place.  Nope, not in the mind of a stubborn male.   I was without my phone and time was ticking closer and closer to my start time.  I ended up asking a police officer to call my dad for me.  He was half mile away at the art building and was making no effort to look for me.  After we finally met up, I threw on Audrina (wetsuit), ate my bagel with peanut butter, and waited for Mom and Krystal.  

My nerves were beginning to fray.  I watched the competition talking and laughing with each other as I was trying not to throw up.  I was more nervous than a tick in a Lyme Disease research laboratory.  My Mom and sister showed up and tried to calm me down.   I was winding myself up into an anxiety attack.  Mom and Dad both gave me words of encouragement.  They told me not to worry and that it is still early in my triathlon career.  But nothing helped.  

It was time to get in the water.  A quick “Shake and Bake” and hug from my Mom and I jumped in.  I was thinking about the tips my coach gave me for the open water start.  With a two minute warning, we had to line up by the break wall.  As we were waiting, someone in the next wave nearly drowned.  Nice.  The air horn went off and it was time for me to go go go.  My plan was push myself and to draft off some of the stronger girls so I wouldn’t “shred” myself to the point of not being able to walk up the swim in ramp.  I finished 13th in my wave for the swim.  Not bad.  Once I was out of the water, it was a very long, long, long run to get poor Cecilia out of the corral.  I felt like I had an awesome transition.  It was very smooth and everything went perfectly.  All around me, there were people falling off their bikes, they couldn’t get their feet in their shoes and couldn’t get their shoes in their clips. (It was sort of entertaining in a sick way.)  

Once I was on the bike, I was ready to hit the “slight hills” that I was told to expect.  I have come to realize that not everyone’s idea of hill is the same.  These were by no means “slight hills”!  They were steep hills that went on and on and on.  Down the hills was lots of fun traveling at 30mph.  I was disappointed in my low watts but after talking to my coach, her other athletes watts were also low.  My bike was about two minutes slower than I wanted but with the hills I had to conquer, I wasn’t going to complain.  Off the bike and another incredibly long run to get Boss and Status (my running shoes).  Transition was smooth except for the fact that as I removed Darthette (super cool helmet), my beautiful French braid had come undone.  Now my hair was all over the place.  Luckily, I had on my fashionable bracelet/pony tail holder and was able to tame my tresses.  I started out on the 3.1 mile run.

I felt really good for the first mile.  I grabbed a cup of water and slugged it down.  Big mistake.  Same squat, different race.  You think I would learn my lesson.  Oh the cramps!  My stomach was in knots.  Noooooo!  I would walk for about 10-20 seconds than run again.  While I was running, I was pretty fast but that walking was killing my time.  I kept plugging along.  About a quarter mile from the finish, Dad and Krystal were cheering me on.  They told me the end was near.  I was so glad to hear that.  I saw the red carpet come into view.  I couldn’t walk now!  I had to push myself and run through the finish line.  I hit the carpet and heard my name.  Just past the finish stood my idol, the most inspiring, talented, determined, accomplished triathlete… Chrissy Wellington!  She was smiling this big British smile and in her lovely, lovely accent, praised me for my good race and placed my finisher medal around my neck and kissed my cheek.  I could have just died!  Even though such a beacon of inspiration stood at the finish line, I was still sad and disappointed in myself because I didn’t place and I did the one thing I did NOT want to do, walk during the run.  I began to cry and sob and blow snot onto my Mom’s arm as she hugged me.  Everyone told me how silly I was being and that I really did a great job, but I would have none of it.  

After I calmed down and looked at the results, it turns out I didn’t do so bad.  A talk with my coach boosted my moral.  There is a little “age up” rule.  It turns out I was in the top 10 for 20-24 year olds and earned a spot at the ITU World Championships in Edmonton, Canadanadana!  Now the question is, will I go or not.  I will have to do some major saving and possibly some fundraisers.  It would sure be an awesome experience.  

So with my A race under my belt, the season should be over, NOT.  I have a race every weekend through October.  I am really excited to finish strong and hopefully end up top 50 for my AG in USAT standings.  

 

P.S.A.  I really know how to spell Canadana. ;] 

 

Shout out to Prairie Path Cycles!!  Without them, I would not have been able to have such a strong season.  Also, thanks to the group rides and all the advice and support to help up my game.  I really listen and take all your words of wisdom into consideration when training.  

Copyright Katrina Mascarella 8/21/13