Rev3 Knoxville Olympic Race report
I signed up for my first Olympic with Rev3 in Knoxville after hearing what a great course it was and how awesome the Rev3 team was.
I arrived in Knoxville late the night before – my children had their final soccer games of the season all day long and I didn’t want to miss them – Rev3 had graciously allowed me to pick up my packet on Sunday morning. The week before I had started worrying about the bike course – would it be too hilly for me to deal with? I organized my transition bag and energy drinks before heading to bed.
Race Day – Sunday May 22!
I was up early of course – took a shower, did a little yoga and applied my work out essential oils to my legs. Then it was time to pack up, grab my bike and head over to the packet pick-up area. I was staying in the host hotel which was only 2 blocks from the World Fair Park. I ended up following another couple of triathletes and ended up having to carry my bike down three flights of stairs. I’m sure there was another easier route but I was too much in the zone to figure it out.
The awesome Rev3 staff was waiting for me in their tent in the dark. Tracy, who I had emailed several times, was there and it was great to put a face to the name. In short order they had my packet and timing chip sorted out and gave me directions over to transition.
Transition was already hopping. The Half Rev was beginning before the Olympic and there was the usual flurry of activity – tires being inflated, tri-glide being sprayed, last minute potty breaks, transition areas being organized. I found my bike slot and started getting organized myself. The other F 45-49 ladies began filtering in and as usual I felt like they were all Amazons – most of them wearing Ironman paraphernalia and toting fancy tri bikes. I might have been the only one with a regular road bike. I recognized the name of the lady next to me as someone from “Women for Tri” so I introduced myself. Finally it was time for one last bathroom run and putting on my wetsuit. The announcer told us 10 mins to clear transition so I grabbed my swim cap, goggles, ear plugs and some energy chews and headed over.
The river didn’t seem to have much of a current. The announcer had said that the water temp would be around 67 degrees but I didn’t think that would be an issue.
My wave was the very last one so I watched the other waves get in and take off. The first part of the swim was up river before turning and heading down to the UT Women boat club. Soon enough my wave was called. I tested the water with my feet and it didn’t seem bad at all. I got in and positioned myself near to the start buoy. Then we were off!! The majority of the ladies took off fast. There was very little bumping and I was able to get into my swim rhythm easily. After I reached the turn around buoy I started getting calf cramps in both legs, so I swam with just freestyle pull and flexed my feet. I tried another couple of times to use my legs again but I was afraid they would be useless for the bike and run so I decided to do the rest with just my arms. It seemed like forever before I spotted the orange buoy that marked the turn to the shore. One of the kayak support ladies gave me some awesome words of encouragement as I neared the end. 1500m might not seem like a huge distance in the pool but open water is completely different! A couple of very nice volunteers pulled me bodily out of the water and thankfully I was able to run back to transition. My calves felt good!! Swim was a little under 45 mins which had been my estimated time.
Transition took a minute as I had to wriggle out of the wetsuit and get socks/shoes/helmet on. Now for a challenging ~25 mile bike ride! The bike route was hard. It was extremely hilly, and not just rolling hills. I knew if I could get past the 2 very steep hills at miles 6 and 16 that I could complete the bike route. The first steep hill was not too bad and I enjoyed the beautiful countryside outside of Knoxville over the next 10 or so miles. I was trading places with 2 other first time Olympic tri ladies and we exchanged names and encouraged each other as we rode along – this is one of the things I absolutely love about the sport of triathlon! The killer hill at mile 16 was a switchback. The organizers even posted a caution sign at the bottom. I ground up it while many of the Half Rev men cyclists sped by me – several called out that I was doing a great job which definitely gave me a boost. The hill seemed to be never ending and I could not see the summit. FINALLY, I was at the top and let me tell you, that downhill was like the nectar of the Gods to my tired legs. The ride back into town and transition was rolling hills with one more steep short hill crossing traffic. The cops yelled at me to keep it going and they held the cars for me. I let out an almighty scream as I crested that hill which I’m sure they loved.
As I dismounted at transition my legs felt a little wobbly but I ran back to my spot and started getting ready for the run. Shoes off, shoes on, helmet off, bib on, sucked down an energy drink and grabbed a banana and I was off. The run was mostly flat but with tired legs even a short incline can feel like a mountain.
The first mile of the 10K beeped on my Garmin and holy wow, I did it in a 9:42 min/mile pace. I knew that wasn’t something I could sustain and my left quad started cramping a little so I tried to slow my pace down a bit while I slowly ate the banana. At the first aid station I grabbed one cup of water to dump over my head and another to drink. I followed this method at every aid station after that – the freezing cold water felt good and helped keep me from overheating. A little after the turnaround I passed the 2 ladies from the bike route. High fives all around! There was an incline on the last mile back to transition and I began to struggle. The finish line was past transition and up a hilly walking path. I ran by the official photographer at that point but had zero energy to muster a smile or thumbs up for her. The volunteers were clapping and telling me it wasn’t far to go. Then I saw the finish line and was in the chute. I sprinted through the finish archway and received my first Olympic triathlon finisher’s medal!! I may have shed a few tears as the volunteers led me to some recovery chairs, gave me some water and draped an ice cold towel around my neck. When I checked my Garmin time I saw that I had beaten my goal time by 1 minute and 12 seconds and that the 10K was just 3 minutes slower than my PR.
I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience of my first Olympic triathlon. Rev3 were well organized and had fantastic volunteers throughout the course. I also enjoyed the very patient drivers on the bike route, which is not something you tend to experience. I feel that I am one step closer to HIM Augusta and am looking forward to the next race of the season.
Finals stats: 3:43:48
Category: 15/18 F45-49
Overall: 191/273
Gender: 66/107
Swim: 44:34 (49:31/mile) Bike: 1:47:56 (13.8mph) Run: 1:03:13 (10:11/mile)
Category: 14/18 F45-49 Category: 15/18 F45-49 Category: 12/18
Overall: 210/273 Overall: 185/273 Overall: 168/273
Gender: 79/107 Gender: 60/107 Gender: 52/107
Swim Bike Run - Tri Mum 