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06:25
:08

Oh Canada! Worlds Recap

Posted in Racing by Cindi Bannink
It certainly has been an interesting trip, and the race is just part of that.  We’ll start with the race.
This was my first international race and opportunity to represent the USA at and Age Group World Championship event.  I am not sure I was even nervous before the event as I came here with few expectations and felt that I would just go race as hard as I could and see what happened in the end. 
The weather here in Vancouver, BC has been cool and rainy, making for challenging racing conditions.  The day before the race, we were informed that the swim course would be shortened to 1000 meters (down from 1500) due to cold water temps (I think they were maybe 12C).  Bummer for the strong swimmers, but just focus on the positives.
Race morning was mostly dry, chilly and a little breezy.  Before my wave start, I headed down to the water to get acclimated and see just how cold this water was going to be.  Yup, pretty darn cold.  Oh, and salty!  I forgot about that fact.
We lined up for our start and I felt good, confident, and calm, knowing that I had no pressure, just going to do the best that I could.  We headed out to the first buoy and my first thought was ‘where did these waves come from?’ and my second thought was ‘gosh this is cold, I am glad they shortened the swim!’  Half way through the swim I was pretty much solo, with a group up ahead and realizing that my feet were freezing and trying to sight for the next buoy as I bobbed around in the waves.  The swim was rough, I swallowed at least a liter of sea water and had waves crashing on me by the end.  I have never been so relieved to have survived the swim of a race, this is usually the easy part!
They ended up canceling the swim for the remainder of the event due to worsening conditions so all the men, here to race World Triathlon Championships, ended up racing a Duathlon race instead.  A disappointment for many.  So I guess I feel fortunate that I got to race the event I had come here to race.
I got out on the bike and heard one of our Team USA leaders say I was in 5th.  The bike course was 4 loops of a technical and challenging trip around scenic Stanley Park.  There was one solid climb 1/2 way around the peninsula where I would pass packs of other riders, thinking, ‘don’t these girls ever train on hills?’  Thank you Wisconsin for great training grounds.  Then on the downside of that hill I held onto my bullhorns for dear life, breaking when needed, knowing it wasn’t worth the risk of a crash at 45mph.  I am sure some of the men were nearing 60mph on this descent (and loving the adrenaline rush).  The bike felt solid and felt like I stayed pretty focused for the ride.  Coming into transition I had no clue where I was in my age group, and in all reality, didn’t really matter… just run your hardest all the way to the finish line.
The run course was fairly flat with some rolling sections, completing 2.5 loops of the same course.  Some of the girls out there were flying, for sure running under 6min/mile pace, making me feel like a snail, but I was mostly passing and figured I must be doing OK.  No mile or kilometer markers to give me an estimate of pace, so again I just kept running at my best effort and hoped it was good enough.
Crossing the finish line, wearing my Team USA uniform and waving my USA flag was pretty exciting.  I had no idea how I had placed in my age group until I got my dry clothes bag, containing my phone, with a text message waiting from a Timex Teammate, saying I had come in 8th in my AG!  I guess I hadn’t done so bad!
Later, I found out that I am probably 7th in my age group and the first American as the girl who ‘won’ my AG missed a loop of the run, not completing the full course.  That puts me 17 seconds out of a podium finish at my first international competition.  I’ll take it.
Other events that have made this an interesting experience:
The men’s race becoming a duathlon.
My front wheel getting to race twice as a friend borrowed my wheel because his had a flat.
My cousin Jeanette coming up from Seattle to watch me race and spend the day in Vancouver.
Climbing “The Grind” trail (2800 vertical feet in under an hour) up Grouse Mountain with Philippe, Ian and Brian and having a snowball fight at the top.
Hanging out with friends from the Timex team, Madison, and USA Triathlon.
Watching the ITU World Championships and cheering for Team USA.
And saving the best for last… Missing the awards celebration and closing ceremonies because my rental car was broken into, stealing Philippe’s passport, my ID, cash, credit cards, clothes, and our spirits.  Needless to say, we had a pretty bad 12 hours getting all that straightened out.  The good news is that they let Philippe board his scheduled flight without a passport and I had my passport at my homestay so I was able to return home as scheduled.
Thanks for reading and I look forward to connecting with you all soon.
04:05
:08

Triathlon racing in March? California 70.3 Race Report

Posted in Racing by Cindi Bannink

It was truly an honor to be racing the Cali 70.3 in Oceanside on March 29.  Coming from Madison, Wisconsin (read: still ski season at home) it felt awesome to get the bike outside (ride #2 on the road for 2008) and feel the wind on my face.  I have never raced this early in the season before and was curious to see how my fitness would hold up, especially to a challenging 70.3 course.  I am happy to report that I had an all around solid day out there, maybe for the simple fact that I was blissed out to be riding outside and running along the ocean in a beautiful part of the country that I have never before had the opportunity to enjoy.  Here is how my day unfolded…

After the obligatory wait in the porta-potty line to dismiss the pre-race jitters, I was able to settle a bit, found a few familiar faces, and get organized for the day.  It was awesome to see so many new Timex teammates (well, they might not be new, but I am!) in transition and out on the course.  I am lucky to be on such an amazing team… more about that later.

Wading into the 60* water was a bit of a shock at first and I wasn’t too excited for the salty taste of the ocean either, both took some getting used to.  By the time the gun went off (wave 16), I was ready to move and focus on the task at hand.  My Blue Seventy Helix full suit and neoprene cap were life-savers.  After swimming in a pool all winter, I nearly forgot that sighting is so essential.  Good thing for me there were enough people to follow around the course that navigation was OK as I weaved my way through the course.  The swim exit seemed about a ½ mile farther away than it should have been and I was excited to land at the boat ramp and exit into transition.

Here is where the race gets fun (remember, giddy as a school girl that I get to ride my bike outside).  Besides that fact, it was the debut of my sweet new Trek Equinox 7, of which I am still debating on a name (Black Stallion, Rocket, Black Beauty… I am open to suggestions).  My goal was to ride steady, keep my HR in check (thanks to my trusty Timex HR monitor), and enjoy the day.  The first 1/3 of the ride went by fast, wind at the back and flat road, I felt like I had an external engine attached to the bike.  The middle and last 1/3 of the course were more challenging with some fun climbs, zippy descents and a solid headwind.  I started to enjoy the amazing scenery too much at times and every time I turned my head to look at the hills, I was reminded that I was wearing the sleek Rudy Project Aero Helmet and the side profile flat into the wind doesn’t make for the most aero position.  So, I resorted to checking out the scenery on the road, which was also pretty impressive at times.  Several friends and teammates passed me along the way and helped keep me motivated.  The bike was fun and challenging, and by the end of 56 miles, I was ready to leave the bike behind and see what I had left in the legs.

After a pit stop in the porta-potty (it always seems like it takes forever when the clock is ticking), I headed out on the run.  The first person I saw out of the gate was Blake, fellow Timex teammate, as he was finishing up his day.  Lucky dog!  13 miles to go for me and the plan here was to start out moderate, build into it, and finish strong.  I definitely succeeded in the first part of the plan and well, pretty much stayed there.  I felt good on the run, meaning, I didn’t feel like I was going to die at any second.  Running along the ocean was a treat and the crowds and fellow athletes were great motivation.  On the first of the two loop course I was looking forward to the point when I would be there on my second loop, how great that mile 9 marker would be at mile 9 instead of 3!  The miles clicked by, enjoying the sponges at the aid stations, and continuing the positive self talk of appreciating the opportunity to be out there racing, healthy and fit.

I finished the race in 5:00:29, yeah, I know, so close to sub-5, trust me, I tried.  I ended up 5th in my age group (30-34) and 8th amateur.  In summary: Solid day for CB and a great start to the ’08 racing season.

I know, I said I’d say more about my amazing team later (and I will… later), but feel like I just wrote a book!  So, we’ll save camp details for another time (or just read Andrew’s post below, I think he pretty much covered everything!). 

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