Amy J at Capital of Texas Triathlon.

I asked my friend Amy to write her experience at the CapTexTri last weekend. I think that it is a great story! Here is an embarrassing photo of Amy and I years ago!

I like to refer to myself as a 'casual triathlete', but a triathlete nonetheless. I crossed the finish line in Austin, TX, last Monday in 97 degree heat + humidity, right under the 4 hour mark!
I also got to know my amazing teammates even better last weekend, spending nearly every moment together. The most noteworthy being the Inspiration Dinner the night before the race. We were lucky enough to hear stories from cancer survivors that were incredible and heartbreaking at the same time. They reminded us why we worked hard to raise money and that we were lucky enough to have a choice to be out their racing (something I repeated to myself during the race, 'I'm lucky to be able to participate, and I chose to be here today.')
Race day was unreal, full of energy, incredible athletes, great friends and a whole lot of nerves. My mom was there too, and I was so glad to have her on the course cheering me on (even though I didn't see her once during my bike, and I'm convinced she went back to the hotel for a quick nap during that leg) ;)
It all started with the mile swim - which quite possibly could be one of the worst things I've ever done in my life. I was obviously not prepared for open water swim with hundreds of athletes. I'm not going to lie, before I jumped off the dock, I definitely shed a few nervous tears (not all that out of character for me). Once in the water, I made my way to back of the yellow swimcapped pack of girls. I didn't want to be by anyone - so I thought I'd hang back and swim my own race (good idea in theory). The gun went off and we started swimming to the 1st buoy that marked the rectangle course. I thought I was either going to throw up or have a heart attack right there in Town Lake. The water smelt like gasoline, it was so murky that you couldn't see anything in front of you until there was a foot right in your face. I tried to get into a groove, but all of a sudden the next heat (red swim caps) was passing me, and not too long after that a heat of guys (blue caps) was swimming on top of me. (One guy literally swam over me). I felt like I was in the water for at least 2 hours, and told myself I had to just make it out of the water so my mom doesn't think I drowned. I finally started to settle down and swim like a normal person (not too sure what my form looked like the first 1/2, but I'm sure it wasn't pretty). When I made it to the swim exit - there were guys that pulled you out of the water and up the ramp. When I got on the ramp I was so disoriented, and the only way I can describe how I felt is sloppy drunk. My head was spinning, and I couldn't really see anything..it got worse when the guys who pulled me out started yanking on the zipper of my wetsuit (I almost fell backwards) and I was too 'drunk' to tell them I can handle it myself, thank you very much. I took a quick look at my watch (a shocking 42 minutes, not the anticipated 2 hrs), and ran to the transition area.
When I got to my bike, I took off my wet suit, threw on my bedazzled TNT jersey, helmet, bike shoes and was off. The bike course was great - it was a loop course, so I did the same 6.25 mile loop 4 times. We went over a bridge, up around the capital building, and out on the highway. I felt really good and was booking it. I saw my Coach Paul at the same spot 4x, and on the 3rd time he was calmly clapping his hands, telling me I looked real good, really smooth and then all of a sudden he caught a glimpse of my nearly-full water bottles, and his octave changed, he started yelling, 'DRINK WATER - AMY, DRINK YOUR WATER!' I picked up a water bottle, gave him a cheers, and drank some..but not too much. Secretly, I was more worried about having to go to the bathroom while I was on my bike, rather than being dehydrated. When we asked our coaches, what if you have to go to the bathroom? Their answer was, 'just go on your bike', as if everyone does this and it's totally acceptable. My response was no sport is worth incontinence. I reminded them I was just a 'casual triathlete', and if I needed to go to the bathroom, I would find a Starbucks. I made it through the bike, without a pit stop, at a time of 1:30 for the 25 miles.
I then changed into my running shoes and was again on my way. The run course was also a loop course, but this time I wasn't excited about the loop, because on mile 3, when I started my 2nd and final loop, other participants were turning into the finish line, and I, sadly, still had another one to go. It was disgustingly hot and humid, and at every aid station I would take about 4 glasses of water and just dump them all on of my head. Even though I felt miserable, I was so happy to see the Team Johnson fan club - my friends from Houston - Jess, Kate, Zeke and Joe showed up to cheer me on, and I needed it at that point. My mom reappeared to cheer some more too (apparently she was on the same corner she was on the bike route, the corner where I was concentrating on not wiping out, so never saw her in the crowd). Around mile 4 when I saw my mom, I kindly directed / slightly yelled at her to go to the finish line. I knew I could get through the last couple of miles, but I needed to see her at the finish.
When I crossed the finish line it was kind of a bittersweet feeling, I had a sigh of relief, so glad it was over, but I also had a feeling of, this is it? I could do more. (which told me that maybe I should have ran a little harder) But I’m so happy to have a full Olympic Tri under my belt, and I know the areas I need to improve on before my next tri in June (basically all 3 - ha). I'm so grateful that I joined TNT, and so thankful I could run this race in memory of the strongest woman I know, my Aunt Jeri, who lost her long battle against cancer last year.
Thanks for all your support, for those still interested in donating to help find a cure - you can swing by my site: http://pages.teamintraining.org/nyc/txtri09/ajohnsownt
Many thanks,
Amy J

You are definitely a triathlete Amy. You are also a hero to many.

CapTexTri.

Racing in the Capital of Texas Triathlon (CapTex) was quite an experience. I love races that can shut down cities and allow us to compete. The swim in Town Lake involved a fun water start. The water was brisk as we jumped in, but the nerves took over and when the water would trickle down my back it felt refreshing, not uncomfortable. The swim was great. As the sun came up, it lit the city of Austin. So breathing on one side we had the gorgeous sunrise and breathing on the other side, the pale colors illuminated the buildings, trees, and roads.

Onto the bike and I should have rode the course ahead of time to really understand that not all of Texas is flat. Immediately, my legs realized that the first part of the bike is uphill. It was gradual, but definitely uphill. The thought that kept me going was that it would all be downhill at the turnaround. We rode our bikes uphill toward the capitol building. It is a magnificent monument that seems to always loom in the distance. The was my chance to get close to it. We rode our bikes as close possible and then urned and rode beside it for a few blocks. There were a few more up and down hills before turning around and beginning the descent back down towards Town Lake. The bike course followed the lake for a bit then repeated it all over again. 4 laps done and I was ready for the run.

It was 2 laps of 5km each. The first lap I tried to hang on with a 51 yr old guy from Dallas. We talked (mostly me) and I learned that this was his goal race. We pushed each other and when times got tough we really helped each other along. I was hurting about 8km into the run, but he pulled up beside me and made me forget how tired my legs were. There were more than enough aid stations with lots of great volunteers. As always, I want to say THANK YOU to everyone volunteering on race day. Everyone involved put on a great race. I would recommend this race to anyone who wants to have fun on Memorial Day in Texas!

Inspiration.

While we were at the Texas Man Triathlon north of Dallas, we were lucky enough to meet the Smith family. They were extremely generous and of course the conversation turned to triathlons and how we got started. Here is Wayne's story:
At 37 years old I weighed 328 pounds and my cholesterol was very elevated.  I was taking Lipitor for my cholesterol and would get winded just walking up a flight of stairs.  The weight gain came gradually and I had made many attempts over the years to lose weight with just about every crazy diet there is.   I have two young daughters and I knew if I didn't change the way I was living I wouldn't be around to be a part of their lives.   One weekend my brother in law was racing in an event about 10 minutes from where we live and my wife had to literally drag me there to watch.   I couldn't understand why crazy people would wake up at 4:30am on the weekend to go punish themselves.   Little did I know that day would change my life.  After watching the event and seeing the joy and sense of accomplishment on many of the athletes faces as they crossed the finish I knew I had found something special.  I saw people of many different shapes and sizes and thought if they can do it why can't I?  After the event I talked with many of the athletes and I have never meet a greater group of people.  In a little over two years since I started my triathlon journey my cholestrol levels are better than average and I no longer need to take medication.  I've lost 100 pounds and am in better shape and have a nicer looking body than I did in high school.  When my wife saw how triathlon was changing my mental attitude and body compostion she started training as well and has lost over 50 pounds and made great improvements in her times.  Even my children have got involved in the sport and have each raced three races.  They can't wait until their next event.   Triathlon is much more than a sport.  It's a way of life!

www.trianationonline.com

He has since started www.TriNationOnline.com to show his appreciation for the sport. Check it out.

Texas Man Triathlon.

This week we made it all the way to Valley View, Texas. It was a last minute decision and we were glad it happened. We drove for 3 days from Tempe, AZ to Valley View, TX (an hour north of Dallas). We stayed at the Ray Roberts Lake State Park. It was humid and warm until the thunderstorms rolled through. Everyone was a little nervous at packet pickup when it was pouring rain. However, the night before the race, the clouds passed, the storm disappeared and there was a bit of sunshine. We woke up race day morning to clear skies and a calm breeze.

Everyone involved in the race was very friendly. We were surprised to see that friendliness is a common Texas theme. The folks at Dallas Athletes Racing were more than helpful and wanted to make sure everyone enjoyed themselves. They put on lots of fun races. Their next race is the Disco Triathlon. It is one of the biggest hits in the Texas tri scene.
I was able to do the sprint race at the Texas Man Triathlon and I was glad that I did. It was a fast 500 meter swim with lots of water patrol. I saw 3 boats, kayaks, canoes, and park rangers all ensuring our safety in the water. The water was about the same temperature as the air on race morning, so while a wetsuit definitely wasn't necessary, I was glad to have one. Wetsuit strippers were also provided and they were fun to use!
Onto the bike, the roads were pretty empty. There is gorgeous terrain and small rolling hills. There weren't too many houses and we only crossed 2 intersections. The local sheriff's office was controlling traffic (although I hardly saw any cars) as well as being our bike turnaround marker. Headed back to T2 the women started catching me. They rode by like I was standing still (after starting in a wave 4 minutes after me!)

The run was through the woods surrounding the lake. Nice and shaded, it was great for someone from out of town like myself that worries about the heat everyday. There were lots of aid station and plenty of volunteers.
After the race, there was a live country band that made our first race in Texas feel very authentic. The post race food, pre race goodie bag, and friendliness of everybody involved makes this race worth doing! If you want to see how you rank against other triathletes, meet other triathletes, or see all the tri clubs available, check out a new online resource available at www.TriNationOnline.com.

Danskin Tempe.

The Danskin Women’s Triathlon on May 9th, was a great success. Tempe Town Lake was a perfect location for this small fun race. I had a wonderful time and a really good race. The packet pick up the day before the race was very efficient and organized. There were many volunteers there to help and answer questions. The race course was also displayed on the wall so participant knew where they were going. After getting your packet you could walk around the expo area and try samples of XOOD, Luna Bar and Silk Milk.

Race day: The transition area was very organized, my race number was stickered onto the transition rack so I knew exactly where to put my bike and transition mat. There were also many people there to help with body marking. Landis Cyclery was available to help anyone with last minute bike problems.
Swim: The swim was very well marked with bright yellow and orange buoys. I thought I was going to have to wear my wetsuit but I was pleased to find that the water temperature on race day was a comfortable 77 degrees. It was my first open water swim and surprisingly it was not bad at all. I did not get my goggles kicked off my face and no one elbowed me. For the most part everyone stayed in their own space after the first 100 yards. This helped me concentrate on my swim better.
Bike: The bike course was my favorite part! The course was easy with a few small hills, I enjoyed the well marked path and the volunteers directing you through the turns. The views of the city and ASU were beautiful. Other racers were friendly on the bike and words of encouragement were passed between participants.
The run was a flat and picturesque loop around Tempe Town Lake with aid stations that had water and Gatorade. My favorite part on the run was at mile 2.5 where there was a volunteer with a hose soaking anyone who was hot. I feel like I could have run well if the opportunity to train in warmer conditions had existed. I had a lot of fun despite the unseasonably warm temperatures. I would like to thank all of the volunteers that helped make this race a great experience for me.

After the race I rehydrated and had some food then got a great massage from Massage Heights. Overall, I had a great time at the Dankskin triathlon and I look forward to participating in the Seattle race on August 16th 2009. Red Rock put on a fantastic race! Be sure to check out their upcoming races this year:
Nathans Hydration Triathlon September 27th featuring a sprint and olympic distance triathlon. Ant the infamous Soma Half-Iron Distance October 25th. The only half-iron distance race at Tempe Town Lake and a great warm up to Ironman in November.
Time to train,
Mojdeh!

Paragon Cycling in Mesa Arizona.

While in the Phoenix area, we searched out a bike store that could do a triathlon specific bike fit. We found one at Paragon Cycling. They exceeded all of our expectations. Taking their time, they made sure that every part of my new Blue Triad fit me perfectly.

The staff was friendly, helpful, and very knowledgeable. They can help anyone from the absolute beginner to the experienced cyclist. Stop by and see them at 1249 North Greenfield Rd #105 Mesa, AZ. Or give them a call 480-830-1620.

Sable Water Optics.

At Wildflower this year, the guys from Sable Water Optics came out to help. They were able to tell people why their product is superior to anything else that you put on your face while swimming. The New York Times likes them. Chris McCormack rocks them as well. Check them out at Sablewateroptics.com. I know that once you try them, you will never wear anything else.

Avia Wildflower Triathlon

 

Pro Courtenay Brown hung out and showed off her nice bike.

After a week hiatus, we were back at full swing. Wildflower is a festival like no other. Team in Triaining raised over $1 million just for this event. Over 7,000 athletes competed in 3 different races. The pro field was stacked, but Andy Potts ran away with a victory. The rain threatened on Friday and Mother Nature let us know who was in charge. Then she showed mercy and cleared up for the long race on Saturday. Our booth was placed near the finish chute. This was great because athletes had to bike through the chute after leaving T1 as well as run through to finish. Lots of spectators, athletes, and friends were on hand to learn about USA Triathlon and the partners!

Our booth from afar.

Thousands.

Rudy Garcia Tolson. Hero.

Once the weather cleared for the long course, everyone had a good time. It was great to have the pros come and hang out at the booth. We met some of the USAT trade team and age groupers were able to mingle with pros that have lots of advice and experience.