Angela Naeth MPT BsHSc - Elite Triathlete, Physiotherapist by trade
Thursday, April 15, 2010
SuperFrog Race Report
This past weekend Chuckie and I drove down to Coronado, CA for the SuperFrog /SuperSeal races. I did the half-Ironman, the Frog.
First things first…what a GREAT event this is! I'm not just saying that because I was victorious but because it is! So many things made this a fun event but one of the main things that stuck out after the race was when Mitch Hall (the assistant race director) asked point-blank what he could do to improve the race. He didn't just do this with me; I overheard him asking dozens of athletes and bystanders! This is something you don't always hear (or hear of) at races and it shows why the SuperSeal is already such an outstanding event. Mitch is an ex-Navy SEAL (that in fact is the origin of the race with a big military presence competing), and you can tell he's motivated by getting the job done right. Plus, if any terrorists wanted to mess with this race, he'd personally kick their ass!
Speaking of ass-kicking, that is exactly what happened to me, with the ocean swells doing the beating. As soon as I hit water I was pummeled, immediately thrown upside down and with my goggles ending up wrapped around my neck. The day before the race, Kevin Koresky and Joe Barrus (from Finishline-Multisport fame; my home stay) took both Miranda Alldirtt (fellow competitor and Canadian) and myself to the beach side to practice our swim-surf technique, if you could call it that. I knew then I'd be scared the next day, but adrenaline helped combat it a ton.
As it was it was a two-loop swim, with a 200-meter run along the beach after each lap. I had no energy whatsoever on lap two, after having been beaten down by the waves---arms just flailing to stay afloat. I lost roughly 2:30 on each lap, according to those yelling out splits. My pacing, albeit slow, was at least consistently so! Consistency is important! :)
There were never any problems with crowding with the waves and the strong currents. The only time I could find a pair of feet to draft was at the turn buoys.
T1 was rough. It's hard to balance on one-leg to get the wetsuit off. I had to keep my eyes on the horizon like a pilot just so I didn't tip over because I still had my sea legs. But I was able to get out without too many minutes lost(!) and then settle in on the bike, where the horizon awaited.
The bike course was a 4-loop version so it was a great event to measure power on my bike, to see how consistent I stayed, or hoped to stay. I used a fast Rolf front wheel and a weighty PowerTap (the first time I've ever raced with a power meter) in the rear. It wasn't a "fast" setup by any means but the 4-loop course was an ideal learning experience for energy output and getting some splits for each lap. Chuckie won't allow me to post the data...sorry!
From what I saw there was only limited amounts of drafting despite the multi-loop layout. The wind was just challenging enough to break-up any would-be packs, as it came in from all angles. This helped me catch the women's leader, Hillary Biscay, and then take the lead halfway through the ride. From there it was just head-down grinding.
T2 was much smoother than my first transition. I came in with the fastest bike split and a 2 or so minute lead, so I didn't need to panic quite as much as when I was in T1! I'm hoping to pick up a bike sponsor this year (Fuji, please!), and with the fastest bike split in almost every triathlon I've ever done, I'm optimistic that I'm on my way. The proposals will continue to be sent out! But the main focus right now is getting that swim down!
The run was one of the most epic runs I've ever done, race or no race. It was a two-loop course that started with a 2-mile beach run. You had to finagle yourself around the surf as it came ashore. The key was to stay in the hard-packed sand but yet avoid getting your shoes soaked; not an easy task when redlining the whole way! After two miles of sand the competitors then made a quick turn onto hard gravel, then pavement, and finally onto a nice trail, before returning back to the beach once more. Overall, it made the run that much more pleasurable but VERY challenging.
After the first lap I had lost a sizeable chunk of my lead to Haley Cooper-Scott; she was just 200 meters back! But 200 meters on sand is still a ways away, so I kept pushing. Thankfully I found another gear during the second lap and was able to 'muscle my way through' the sand. This run course is all about strength and I think if it had been purely about speed I'd have lost the lead.
For my efforts I won an engraved paddle! I rarely keep material prizes but when they are unique as this, I send them home for keeps. Chuckie joked that if I ever find myself up Sh!t Creek, at least now I have a paddle! In addition to the paddle I picked up a nice little check, which will be donated straight to the next few races!
-----------------------------------------
Back to the home stay…
Finishline-Multisports is Kevin and Joe's brainchild and, I have to say, these two guys are first-class! I've had three amazing home-stays this year and each has been as memorable as the events themselves! I hope the streak continues!
Training notes…
This was essentially a training race for me (though I always race all-out!). Basically that just means I didn't taper for the race and yet felt better than any tapered-for event; I've noticed this every single time I "train through" a race. As such we plan to continue this trend for the next race or two. As Coach says, when you feel better you are better, though he didn't need to convince me of it. It had been a rough 10 days post-California 70.3, and I was overridden with many aches and pains and it started to mess with my head. Even the day before the race I was hobbling around a bit and grew apprehensive (and even a bit negative) because of it. One thing I now realize is that racing is a whole new level of hurt and all those niggles seem to disappear. I have to remind myself this now!
I'd like also to congratulate Jonas Colting for his victory. I know they have beaches in Sweden, but somehow I don't imagine they're quite ready to host a triathlon yet. And yet Jonas goes out and wins anyway!
Finally, I want to say thanks to Mike Kraus, Solvang Chiropractor Extraordinaire, who put me back into one piece so that I could tough it out for another half-Ironman just 13 days after my first in two years! Expect to see me more often Mike!
First things first…what a GREAT event this is! I'm not just saying that because I was victorious but because it is! So many things made this a fun event but one of the main things that stuck out after the race was when Mitch Hall (the assistant race director) asked point-blank what he could do to improve the race. He didn't just do this with me; I overheard him asking dozens of athletes and bystanders! This is something you don't always hear (or hear of) at races and it shows why the SuperSeal is already such an outstanding event. Mitch is an ex-Navy SEAL (that in fact is the origin of the race with a big military presence competing), and you can tell he's motivated by getting the job done right. Plus, if any terrorists wanted to mess with this race, he'd personally kick their ass!
Speaking of ass-kicking, that is exactly what happened to me, with the ocean swells doing the beating. As soon as I hit water I was pummeled, immediately thrown upside down and with my goggles ending up wrapped around my neck. The day before the race, Kevin Koresky and Joe Barrus (from Finishline-Multisport fame; my home stay) took both Miranda Alldirtt (fellow competitor and Canadian) and myself to the beach side to practice our swim-surf technique, if you could call it that. I knew then I'd be scared the next day, but adrenaline helped combat it a ton.
As it was it was a two-loop swim, with a 200-meter run along the beach after each lap. I had no energy whatsoever on lap two, after having been beaten down by the waves---arms just flailing to stay afloat. I lost roughly 2:30 on each lap, according to those yelling out splits. My pacing, albeit slow, was at least consistently so! Consistency is important! :)
There were never any problems with crowding with the waves and the strong currents. The only time I could find a pair of feet to draft was at the turn buoys.
T1 was rough. It's hard to balance on one-leg to get the wetsuit off. I had to keep my eyes on the horizon like a pilot just so I didn't tip over because I still had my sea legs. But I was able to get out without too many minutes lost(!) and then settle in on the bike, where the horizon awaited.
The bike course was a 4-loop version so it was a great event to measure power on my bike, to see how consistent I stayed, or hoped to stay. I used a fast Rolf front wheel and a weighty PowerTap (the first time I've ever raced with a power meter) in the rear. It wasn't a "fast" setup by any means but the 4-loop course was an ideal learning experience for energy output and getting some splits for each lap. Chuckie won't allow me to post the data...sorry!
From what I saw there was only limited amounts of drafting despite the multi-loop layout. The wind was just challenging enough to break-up any would-be packs, as it came in from all angles. This helped me catch the women's leader, Hillary Biscay, and then take the lead halfway through the ride. From there it was just head-down grinding.
T2 was much smoother than my first transition. I came in with the fastest bike split and a 2 or so minute lead, so I didn't need to panic quite as much as when I was in T1! I'm hoping to pick up a bike sponsor this year (Fuji, please!), and with the fastest bike split in almost every triathlon I've ever done, I'm optimistic that I'm on my way. The proposals will continue to be sent out! But the main focus right now is getting that swim down!
The run was one of the most epic runs I've ever done, race or no race. It was a two-loop course that started with a 2-mile beach run. You had to finagle yourself around the surf as it came ashore. The key was to stay in the hard-packed sand but yet avoid getting your shoes soaked; not an easy task when redlining the whole way! After two miles of sand the competitors then made a quick turn onto hard gravel, then pavement, and finally onto a nice trail, before returning back to the beach once more. Overall, it made the run that much more pleasurable but VERY challenging.
After the first lap I had lost a sizeable chunk of my lead to Haley Cooper-Scott; she was just 200 meters back! But 200 meters on sand is still a ways away, so I kept pushing. Thankfully I found another gear during the second lap and was able to 'muscle my way through' the sand. This run course is all about strength and I think if it had been purely about speed I'd have lost the lead.
For my efforts I won an engraved paddle! I rarely keep material prizes but when they are unique as this, I send them home for keeps. Chuckie joked that if I ever find myself up Sh!t Creek, at least now I have a paddle! In addition to the paddle I picked up a nice little check, which will be donated straight to the next few races!
-----------------------------------------
Back to the home stay…
Finishline-Multisports is Kevin and Joe's brainchild and, I have to say, these two guys are first-class! I've had three amazing home-stays this year and each has been as memorable as the events themselves! I hope the streak continues!
Training notes…
This was essentially a training race for me (though I always race all-out!). Basically that just means I didn't taper for the race and yet felt better than any tapered-for event; I've noticed this every single time I "train through" a race. As such we plan to continue this trend for the next race or two. As Coach says, when you feel better you are better, though he didn't need to convince me of it. It had been a rough 10 days post-California 70.3, and I was overridden with many aches and pains and it started to mess with my head. Even the day before the race I was hobbling around a bit and grew apprehensive (and even a bit negative) because of it. One thing I now realize is that racing is a whole new level of hurt and all those niggles seem to disappear. I have to remind myself this now!
I'd like also to congratulate Jonas Colting for his victory. I know they have beaches in Sweden, but somehow I don't imagine they're quite ready to host a triathlon yet. And yet Jonas goes out and wins anyway!
Finally, I want to say thanks to Mike Kraus, Solvang Chiropractor Extraordinaire, who put me back into one piece so that I could tough it out for another half-Ironman just 13 days after my first in two years! Expect to see me more often Mike!
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
My New Website is Launched!
Exciting news! I have my new website up and running. Unfortunately, Blogger is having a brain funk and not allowing me to add this link: www.angelanaeth.com! It's above on the homepage and working there though!
www.angelanaeth.com
www.angelanaeth.com
Monday, April 5, 2010
California 70.3 Race Report
Well, another race under the belt for me in 2010, and a bit more experience for the future! California 70.3 was my first triathlon since Worlds 70.3 in 2008. I absolutely loved the battle. The pro field was stacked with the strongest women’s field I’ve seen at a 70.3 event Sam Mcglone, Mirinda Carfrae, Leanda Cave, Sam Warriner, and Pip Taylor. Before even starting the race, I knew it was going to be a hard day to get top 5 (where the prize money is)!
It all started Thursday when we (Coach and I) headed out on the road toward Oceanside. We had a pit-stop for a day at Chuck’s cousins where we were spoiled with great food and fun. I always enjoy stopping there because it’s a home away from home. Since I travel a lot, I like to have these ‘homes’ as much as possible. And well, in reality, I don’t really have a home, so a home away from home is the next best thing! Thanks Dav and Deb for a great weekend. Alec, our bike rides were fun!
My homestay for the actual race night was amazing! Unfortunately I had to go to bed early and didn’t get to enjoy in the festivities and great food. Chuck made up for it by eating, and chatting until we basically had to get up in the morning for an early 6:43 race start.
Pre-race I was a bit overwhelmed with the idea of swimming in the ocean. I mentally prepared myself for a freeze but luckily, thanks to TYR, I was able to stay toast warm! The Hurricane Wettsuit is by far the nicest suit I’ve used. Now, if only I could swim!
The race started fast and I did my best to grab hold of someone’s feet. My lack of experience in open-water held me back which I now realize is the dumbest thing to do. I need to go, and go hard right off the bat! I need to focus on the swim just as hard as I do on the bike. I ended up 5-minutes back from the main pack (that is a lot of time). Luckily though, there was a few of us stranglers and we worked together to not drown.
In T2, I grabbed my bike and opted to not use the arm warmers. This was a smart choice indeed. The day got warmer and warmer….and windier! On the bike, I quickly found my groove and passed a number of my competitors in the first 40 miles. I was in no man’s land throughout the race and it was hard to gauge my efforts. Being in a ‘pack’ is much easier. I need to get there. I worked hard on staying honest with myself and pushed my way toward the top 5. Low and behold, even with only Rolfe Prima training wheels, I managed to get the fastest bike split! I can only imagine how those race wheels are going to work for me (race wheels are coming soon, I just made the switch to tubular)!
The run was quite simply, hard! I ran solid for my current fitness, but I was amazed at some of my competitors speed. It definitely opened my eyes and has provided more fuel for the fire to stay strong these next five weeks for Wildflower. At least by grabbing the fastest bike split, I had some redemption for an 8th place finish (and no prize money)!
Overall I'm back in battle and now dealing with a slightly tight left butt cheek that I must have aggravated on the run! Massage, pressure, massage and jogging should do the trick!
Overall I'm back in battle and now dealing with a slightly tight left butt cheek that I must have aggravated on the run! Massage, pressure, massage and jogging should do the trick!
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