Stansbury Tri Race Report- Courtney Duckworth

 

Had for breakfast the morning of race: Chocolate-Banana Protein Shake

Ate for dinner the night before: Marc Anthony's Mexitalian (Salad, Breadsticks, Pasta)

Why did you choose this race: Flat course and good date

Race Strategy: To get through it!!

Type of shoe worn: Mizuno

Wrist watch used: Garmin 310XT

 

Stansbury TRI Race Report (Race Video to coming soon)

by Courtney Duckworth

 

                Saturday, September 10th, 2011: Stansbury TRI-Sprint distance. The race was held in Stansbury Park, out in Tooele, UT. This race is known for its flat course and overall great venue. I was looking forward to this for quite some time! I'm not going lie, I was also really nervous, especially the week of the race. I have done a few Triathlons now but the butterflies are still there each time! Training had been pretty poor for the weeks preceding Stansbury. I just started a new job and have been really busy. BLAH, BLAH, BLAH...you know, all the excuses, right! The truth really is that I have just been lazy! Anyway, in preparation for each event, I usually like to sych myself up with watching motivating you-tube videos the day before the race, including those on Ironman, Triathlon training, etc. I went to packet pickup down at PowerTRI in Orem, UT the night before the race. Race bib number?...check....timing chip?....check....free T-shirt?....check! (gotta love those!).  I was feeling pretty good. Got my bike and transition bag all ready for the race and went to bed. It was a sleepless night (again the nerves). Our good friends, Justin and Michelle Anderson were also doing Stansbury so we all carpooled in the morning. We got there in good time and found some great spots in transition, close to bike out/in. One thing I haven't mentioned yet is that I had just gotten a new TT Felt bike. The two times I had rode it during training before the race, I got flats BOTH times! We ended up finding a small thorn in my tire, creating a slow leak. I was praying that we had fixed the problem because I was not wanting a flat on race day!

                Before the race, I prepared my transition area, did some light stretching, checked my tires a bazillion times, and walked around the venue. Down at the water, the swim course looked a lot longer than it did last year when my husband raced the Olympic distance. This only added to my pre-race angst. Well, by that time, there was no turning back!

                The swim went okay. I was nervous about the start, but it actually wasn't the worst I've had to deal with. It was a good feeling to get to that first buoy. By that point, by nerves are gone and I am in total race mode fueled on adrenaline. The crowd eased after the first few minutes which was great. Unfortunately, halfway to the second buoy, either this other swimmer or myself zigzagged right into each other! It might have been my fault...who knows? I thought I was going straight!! Either way, she ended up kicking me right in my face, I panicked, then swallowed a huge amount of water. I had to completely stop for a second and regroup. Bummer... After that, it was all about finding the rhythm and getting through it! After passing the third buoy, I knew I had made it! Once I got to the shoreline, a little bit of me celebrated! Not that I hate the swim part of TRIs (it is actually one of my favorite parts), I just was relieved and excited to start the bike. My swim time sucked, but it was good for me, which made me happy. 

                One thing that I am super proud of myself from this race are my transition times. In the past, I have always struggled with slow transitions, so I really made an effort to be faster this race. I think this came in part due to experience and practice. Running up to T1, I quickly pulled off my wetsuit sleeves and took off my cap, goggles, and earplugs. In transition, I finished pulling off my wetsuit, put on my bike shoes, helmet, and I was off! I had some trouble getting clipped in at first. Weird....I think I was just tired from the swim.

                One thing I was looking forward to was the bike course! It was really fun and fast! Well, fast for other people, I was more like a slow-fast! There are a few turns for which you have to slow down, but especially after the turn around, riding back to the venue, you can really push your speed! I ended up passing some people and playing "leap-frog" with others. I met this woman out on the course who we kept passing each other back-and-forth! We started laughing about it after the third or fourth time. It was really fun to push each other! We would yell to each other from behind things like "don't let me catch you!" or "here I come!". It was really funny. She ended up beating me off the bike, but we met after T2 and ran a little together before she took off (because I am a crappy runner!).

                By the run portion of the race, my legs were hurting! I got major cramps in both calves but I pushed through it. The run course itself was also pretty flat and shaded in most areas. My goal was to not stop unless at the aid station at the halfway point. I did okay by my standards. I would have liked to have gone faster, like always, but I finished! Sprinting toward the finish line is best feeling in the world! You know that you accomplished something and you didn't quit when things were tough. Hey, you may be the last one to cross the line, but you CROSSED THAT LINE!

                Thank you UStrisports for a great event and to my husband, Rory, who cheered me on from the sidelines and is always so supportive!