CU Triathlon wins third straight national championship

Published on April 24, 2012 on www.CUIndependent.com. 

We got on the bus to DIA last Thursday a group of hopeful, excited and admittedly nervous triathletes.

We came back national champions.

On the CU Triathlon Team, that’s how it’s done. We train hard all year, pushing each other and pushing ourselves, in hopes of winning big in April. This weekend, we captured our third straight and 13th overall national championship at the USA Triathlon Collegiate National Championship in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Junior Tess Amer on the bike course at the USA Triathlon Collegiate National Championship in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Amer finished 11th. (Courtesy of Thom Ward)

I couldn’t be more proud to be a part of this team.

Going into nationals, we knew we had the potential to win the combined team title. Three of our top four racers from last year’s men’s team were returners, and our women’s team had more depth than ever.

This year, in addition to the overall title, we had another goal: a long-overdue women’s team win.

The overall team win is determined by combining the men’s and women’s team scores. In previous years, the men have won big, taking first by a long shot so that even a second or third-place finish by the women would result in an overall title.

Not so in 2012 — the women’s team wanted to earn a championship just as much as the men.

We got our chance on Saturday morning, with the women’s race the first event on the schedule. Just before the first wave went off at 7:30 a.m., our whole team, men and women, gathered around me as I led our classic repeat-after-me cheer:

Iki la boomba (Iki la boomba)

Iki la wikki likki (Iki la wikki likki)

Affa la waffa laffa (Affa la waffa laffa)

Ooh-chee-ahh… (Ooh-chee-ahh…)

C-O-L-O-R-A-D-O

What’s that spell? Colorado!

What’s that mean? Victory!

With adrenaline pumping, our first girls headed down to the water for the swim start. We knew that all of those killer swim practices, endless bike rides and painful runs we had gone through together were about to pay off.

I was in Wave Three with teammates Heidi Spees and Maggie Scanlan. I knew they were stronger swimmers than me, but I still wanted them by my side when the gun went off. Though I lost them almost immediately, I focused on keeping good form, being efficient and staying calm throughout the swim.

Once out of the water, I stripped off my wetsuit, grabbed my bike and put on my game face. It was time to catch some girls.

I felt fast, passing entire groups of Wave Three cyclists with ease. Looking back at the results, I went from 220th place overall coming out of the swim to 51st place coming off the bike. It was my fastest bike time ever.

But my strength, the run, was yet to come.

I transitioned quickly, re-racking my bike and slipping into my run shoes for the final stretch. As I headed out of transition, I heard a familiar voice calling my name — there, on the side of the course, was a graduated teammate and good friend from my freshman year who had come out to Tuscaloosa to cheer us on. I smiled and picked up my pace, knowing I had the support of so many.

During the first two miles of the run, I caught and passed the teammates I had started with in Wave Three. A few minutes later, I passed my coach, Mike Ricci, timing from the sideline.

“Come on, Caryn — pick it up. We’ve got to win this thing,” I heard him say. I realized I may be one of the scoring four, and that meant my mental strength on this run could affect the entire team. I pushed harder.

Around mile four, I was hit with the worst cramp I’ve ever experienced in a race. My breathing became suddenly shallow, and my pace slowed way down as I tried to fend off what felt like a knife in my side. There were only two miles to go, but they would be the hardest of the whole race.

Whether you run fast or slow, this cramp is still going to hurt, I told myself. It can’t get much worse, and the faster you move, the sooner you’ll be done.

My run time wasn’t what it could’ve been sans-cramp, but I finished as strong as I could and ended up in 32nd place. The other scoring CU women finished 11th, 15th and 17th. We had a shot at the women’s title, but we would have to wait until the awards ceremony later that night to know for sure.

For now, it was time to cheer on the guys.

Watching the men’s race gave me an adrenaline rush all over again. I am constantly impressed by the talent and work ethic our men’s team has. Our top four men ended up in second, fourth, fifth and 14th place. There was no doubt they had earned the men’s team title.

We spent the rest of the day cheering on our athletes in the open and relay races, eating barbecue with our team parents and anxiously awaiting results. Finally, at 8 p.m., it was time.

The awards are always more of a party than a ceremony. Teams traditionally dress in themed costumes, and it’s not unusual for flash mobs or loud team cheers to erupt from the audience. This year, the University of Wisconsin rolled into the awards ceremony on Razor scooters.

CU chose “Noah’s Ark” as our awards theme. Dressed as animals (or, in one case, Noah), our athletes proudly took the podium to receive both individual and team awards. Graduate student Rudy Kahsar, dressed as a buffalo, was recognized for his overall finish and for recording the fastest bike split of the race. Freshman Jak Hamilton, wearing pig attire, earned a third-place podium spot in the men’s open race.

Next, the women’s team titles were announced. We had finally done it. By a narrow six-point margin, we edged out Duke University, the University of California and the U.S. Naval Academy for the first-place women’s team title. Our win marks the first women’s team title for CU since 2005.

The men’s team was recognized next, having won the title over second-place University of Arizona by a hefty 98 points.

And finally, by a margin of 159 points, the CU Triathlon Team was announced as the USA Triathlon Collegiate National Champions for the third year in a row. Navy, our biggest rival, would have to settle for second place behind the top triathlon team in the country.

National championships do more for our team than just celebrate our top athletes though. They reflect the commitment that everyone on this team has to the sport and to each other. As our coach always says, we have no slow athletes. When we train, the fast ones push the faster ones, who push the fastest ones to win championships.

My teammate Morgan Burrows, a graduating senior, said the night before the race that she would rather be 13th on the Colorado Tri Team than be first or second on any other team. To be a CU triathlete is to be a part of something special, something irreplaceable.

I have one more year left on this team, and I will savor every moment of it. The CU Triathlon Team is my family, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Casa de Pancakeo

It's that time of year again.

The CU Tri Team has been back at school and training hard for a few months now. We’ve spent hours in the pool, on the bike and on the trails, and our first time trial is behind us. Needless to say, all this training has us a little tired out. Thanksgiving break is just around the corner, but until then, we’ve been doing all we can to motivate each other to keep working hard.

That’s why this Sunday, four teammates decided to host a pancake party following our weekly long run. Our team has gotten pretty skilled at pancake-making over the the past year, thanks to the ingenuity of Rudy Kahsar and other like-minded cake connoisseurs. We know, for instance, that Oreos make the best mix-ins and that while maple syrup is a classic topping, vanilla yogurt and peanut butter can work wonders on a flapjack.


Before we could chow down on pancakes, though, we had to earn them with a good workout. With a big group — about 20 runners of varying speeds — and a workout that could range from 45 to 90 minutes, we knew we would spread out over time. Still, we left together from the “Casa de Pancakeo,” heading south towards Bobolink Trail and eventually to Marshall Mesa.

It was a warm but windy morning, and as we struggled up hills into oncoming gusts, the only thing that kept us going was the prospect of pancakes to come. Marshall Mesa is a set of rolling trails near Colorado Highway 93, and it is completely exposed. We had no shelter from the wind and were all trying to draft off each other to make the effort a little more bearable.

As the time on our watches slowly ticked by, we finally settled into a comfortable pace. Finishing a long run is always a mental battle, but with teammates to talk to and pace with, it tends to be over sooner than you think. We picked up speed for the final few miles, knowing that the faster we made it back to the house, the sooner delicious cakes would be filling our bellies. When we reached the driveway of the Casa de Pancakeo, someone’s GPS recorded 10.8 miles; naturally, we took one more lap around the block to get to a solid 11 (it’s a triathlete thing).

Rob Helvestine was the hero of the morning as he poured dollops of pancake batter onto the skillet and took mix-in requests nonstop. The rest of us, spent from our effort and in need of some serious fuel, huddled around the stovetop with our paper plates outstretched. Leave it to a team of college-aged triathletes to consume enough pancakes and coffee to feed a small country over the course
of an hour.

Without times like these, we wouldn’t really be a team — we would just be a big group of training partners. Triathlon in itself is an individual sport, but when we take the time to bond over new pancake-topping creations, we make it a team thing. It may sound silly, but the friendships we build outside of regular practice are the ones that will stick.

And when we race, those friendships will carry us to the finish line.

Give and take.
Caryn

Annapolis Summer

In four days - FOUR DAYS! - I'll be getting on a plane back to Colorado. I really can't wait. I feel like it's been forever since I've seen beautiful Boulder, especially because I've kind of had two separate summers. And yes, I still miss Italy and everyone I met there. But over the past month I've soaked in that perfect American summer feeling at the pool and on the water, and I think I might actually be sad to say goodbye to home.

A couple weeks ago I went from just lifeguarding to teaching morning swim lessons, and it's been 1000x more fun. I love seeing kids learn, especially when I've had something to do with it, and I love how excited they get when they pass the swim test or master the back float they've been struggling with. You can just see when something clicks in their minds, and they can't wait to show it to everyone they know. Sometimes I can't tell who is happier about learning something new, the kid or me. I also like being on the lessons crew because I get to know the camp kids that come to the pool every day of the summer. I've made friends with several of them, and I know which ones to look out for when they stray into deep water. I know a pool and a classroom are completely different things, but teaching swim lessons has reinforced my decision to get an elementary teaching license. I can't wait for my practicum this fall!

Summer at home has also given me a chance to reconnect with old friends, both from high school and childhood. My "lifers," as we called ourselves in high school, have never struggled with staying friends post-college. We continue our long-held traditions, such as walking to Kaleigh's beach dragging a box of Natty Boh in her baby sister's wagon, then drinking on the dock and talking about life. Or swimming in Rachel's backyard pool and reminiscing about how weird we once were (even though we know we haven't changed.) I've also spent some quality time with Bessie, my best friend since age two. In high school, with completely different friend groups and interests, we drifted apart a little, but lately we've remembered the power of "shoombadles" (our... friendship word... I really can't explain.) Bessie's heading to France in a few days to study at the American University of Paris, so we're trying to fit in as much Bessie-Bobo time as possible. I'm lovin' it.

And, uh, about that triathlon thing... I honestly have been trying to get back in shape, but with only a few days left until I see my team, I'm prioritizing friend/family time and things like packing. I've been delinquent with masters' swimming and early spin classes lately, mostly because I don't want to worry about waking up at 5:30 am when I'm out with friends the night before. Also, I think I really am addicted to a team, or at least training with a buddy. If I don't make it to masters or spin class in the morning, it's hard to motivate myself to go alone. Which is why I desperately need the CU Tri Team to come to my rescue! Warning, guys: I may not be super fast for the first couple weeks, and I may or may not faint if we do an "easy run up Flagstaff." Bear with me.

See you soon, Boulder!
Give and take,
Caryn

Rebounding

I still miss Italy... the experience, the people, the lifestyle. Being home is so different. Everyone speaks my language, an "antique" is something made in the 1950s, and coffee comes in a giant thermos rather than a sweet little mug. Instead of the beautiful view of Urbino's city walls, I'm watching sweaty kids playing in the pool from the vantage point of my lifeguard chair. In about a week the last of my friends that are still in Italy will be returning to the States, and I'll no longer be able to follow their blogs and photos, imagining I'm in Europe again. I guess it's time to get over being mopey and start focusing on real life.

Between my Italian trip and my return to Colorado in mid-August, I'm trying to work as much as possible and get back into shape. With humid Maryland days and a heat index of 115, though, finding energy and motivation is not easy. I haven't been able to go on a run longer than half an hour without feeling like passing out, and the pool feels like bath water. It's the first time I've taken such an extended break from exercise since junior year of high school, and it's a tough climb back up.

One thing that always gets me going, though, is a new piece of equipment. I just paid the deposit for my new tri bike, a Quintana Roo Chicqilo 2010. It's pink and white and super fast, and it's waiting for me in Highlands Ranch. The day I fly into Denver on August 17, I'm heading over to pick it up. Having a well-fitting, speedy bike will definitely make me want to get out on the roads as much as possible. I'm tired of spin class! I've also got a brand new pair of running shoes, the most recent version of the Mizuno Wave Riders, and my first pair of racing flats, neon yellow Saucony Grid Type A4s (free with the gift certificate we won at Nationals!) Who wouldn't want to get out and use all this fancy new gear?

I just keep telling myself that if I work hard through this part of the summer, bear the heat and humidity, and rely heavily on my iPod, I'll be back to my team in no time. In three weeks, I'll be in the foothills of Boulder trying to survive "Hell Week" with old and new Buffs. I'll be moving into a cute, spacious house with two of my best friends and one teammate that I'm looking forward to getting to know better. I'll have a class schedule full of journalism and education classes (no more calc!), and I'll go back to the CU Independent as an experienced returning reporter. I may even have a job at Boom Yogurt Bar, a brand new Ripple-style joint owned by a couple professional triathletes, Matt and Kelly Reed. (Just sent in the application, so it'll be a little while before I know for sure!)

Though I love being home, I get restless knowing that Colorado life is just around the corner. I miss being part of such a close-knit group like I had in Urbino, and it's hard to find that at home this summer since so many of my friends are traveling. Once in Boulder, I'll settle back into my CU Tri Team family, reunite with my best friends/sisters/roommates, and of course meet tons of new people. And being greeted every morning with the incredible Flatirons will be pretty cool too, I guess.

23 days. Hurry up :)

Give and take.
Caryn

  

A New Set of Priorities

I'm home! Here I am in Annapolis, Maryland, sitting at a table outside the City Dock Cafe in 70 degree sunny weather. It actually feels like summer here-- shorts and flip flops, ice cream outings, and that beautiful Chesapeake Bay. At the Naval Academy, the freshmen-to-be will be starting Plebe Summer soon (I'll feel sorry for them the next time I'm running on the Navy track in a tanktop and they jog by wearing camo and backpacks, but I admire what they go through.) Best of all, Annapolis is hosting a triathlon this Saturday! At the Tri-Rock sprint triathlon, athletes swim in the Chesapeake, bike by the Naval Academy, and run through historic colonial downtown. Live music all through the course! The race directors were in desperate need of lifeguards, and since Oscar is officially sold to my roomie and I'm therefore bike-less, I'll be seeing the race from a perspective other than a competitor this time. I'll most likely be on a float or boat out in the water looking out for tired swimmers-- and meanwhile, I'll get a chance to check out people's open water swimming techniques and maybe get some tips. :)

I'll only be here for ten more days, though. On May 23, my mom and I fly to Paris. We'll spend a few days in France visiting my other mother, Moe Delaitre, at her farm in Ussy. After that, my dad and grandmother will fly out to meet us and we'll tour Italy for a week or so-- my grandmother is especially excited to see Bari, the southern Italian town where her family grew up but which she has never visited. On June 10, my family heads home and I meet my group in Urbino, Italy, where I'll spend four weeks doing a study abroad in magazine production and international reporting. :) The University of Urbino is one of the oldest colleges in the world, founded in 1506. It's in central Italy near the Adriatic coast. We'll spend our mornings taking Italian language classes, have a break from 1 to 3 according to Italian custom, and do reporting, interviewing, seminars, or one-on-one coaching in the afternoon. Our end goal is to create an English-speaking magazine called "Urbino Now" about the community, its culture and customs.

Our course description tells us that the magazine "will be a reflection of your explorations and discoveries in this beautiful rural region of ancient fests, traditional crafts, slow food, and slower living." It sounds like the perfect summer to me. One thing I'll have to make peace with, though, is that I won't be training a whole lot. I won't have a bike, so riding won't be possible. I'll spend some time in a pool if there's one nearby, but I'm not going to spend hours a day in a place that's probably just the same as any in the U.S. I have been thinking over the possibility of some open water swimming in the Adriatic, but we'll see if that's realistic. I'm definitely going to try and run, but I've heard that if you run in Italy, people thing you're running from the cops or something, so I'll just have to see how it goes. These six weeks will be a chance for me to enjoy the "slower living" described above. My priorities will be learning as much as I can about writing and reporting, stepping outside of my comfort zone, exploring new places, meeting new people, and taking the time to savor Italian meals of pasta and red wine. I'll have all the time in the world to get moving again once I get back to Annapolis, but in Italy, I'll go slow.

Dare e prendere.
Caryn

Nationals, Finally

So I wrote this article, a firsthand experience of racing with The CU Tri Team at USAT Collegiate Nats, for www.tri-magazine.net. Which is why I never wrote a Nationals race report... I wanted to wait until this article came out so I could post it here. The June issue of tri-magazine just came out a week ago- you can subscribe free by going here: http://www.tri-magazine.net/subscribe.php. But here's my contribution:

Traditionally, triathlon is not a team sport. It requires hard work, determination, and perseverance on an individual level. For those who race USAT Collegiate Nationals, though, the sport takes on a completely different feel. Athletes are motivated to lay it all on the line for their teammates, not for themselves.

At the University of Colorado, that team atmosphere is truly something special. I am a sophomore at CU, and while I joined the CU Triathlon Team as a freshman, this was my first year as a member of the Nationals team. I watched our team win the National Championship last year, and I, along with the rest of my team, wanted more than anything to bring home the title for the second year in a row.

From September through April, we trained as a team. Together, we made it through some of the hardest workouts of our lives, pushing our limits more than we ever thought we could. We motivated each other on tough days, paced each other through painful intervals, and suffered together during the most diffi cult practices. Without my team, I would never have grown as an athlete as much as I have.

The members of the CU Tri Team, though, are more than just strong athletes– we are also best friends. In addition to spending hours a day training together, we also go out to eat after workouts, have fun on the weekends, and in some cases, even live together.

After our regional race in Lake Havasu, Ariz., about twenty of us chose to spend our spring break training as a team in Tucson. Mike Ricci, our head coach, gave us workouts that definitely scared us. Because we were in it together, though, we made it through. Something about suffering can really bring a team together, and we certainly suffered.

In the two weeks between spring break and Nationals, the anticipation among our team started to grow. We began our taper, and we felt the energy just waiting to come out on race day.

During a meeting a few days before we left for Nationals, my teammate Rudy gave us some words of confi dence. A transfer student from UVA, he had come from a different team that wasn’t as connected to each other as we are. “You don’t realize that you have an advantage just being on this team,” Rudy told us. On race day, I saw proof that he was right.

Before the first wave of the men’s race went off, we huddled up for our team cheer: Iki la boomba Iki la wiki liki Affa la waffa laffa Oo-chee-ahhh!

I don’t even know what language that is, but for some reason it gets us going. We were all fired up, but the girls would have to wait to race for another two and half hours.

As the men started their swim, the girls watched anxiously, trying to control our adrenaline. We cheered our top males out of the water; then moved towards the transition area so we could see them come by on the bike. When Rudy finished the first lap of the bike, he was less than a minute behind the leader, Dustin McClarty- a swimmer who had gone to the Olympic trials.

Once we had seen all our males through the first lap, my teammate Tess and I started a warm up run. We ran next to the racecourse, and as we were jogging, we saw Rudy out on his run – in first place. He had caught McLarty on the bike and was building up a lead. Ryan Bice, our other first-wave male, was in third, looking like he was flying. He would go on to post the fastest run split of the race in 33 minutes, 31 seconds.

Tess and I made it back to the finish line just as the crowd was preparing to welcome in the winner. We heard a warning for the start of the women’s swim warm up over the loudspeaker, but we ignored it. Our boys were so close to finishing, and there was no way we were missing it.

Unexpectedly, McLarty broke the tape. He had had a great run and had passed Rudy in the final miles. Rudy came in less than a minute later, looking completely spent. When Ryan crossed the line shortly afterwards, I witnessed my favorite moment of the day: my two teammates, nearly keeled over from exhaustion, leaning on each other for support.

The wave of emotion I felt after seeing Rudy and Ryan finish reminded me that I was about to race. I grabbed my female teammates and we headed over to the lake. We couldn’t recreate the “Iki la booma” cheer with just half the team, but we formed our own huddle and reminded each other how hard we’ve all worked, how far we’ve come, and how this was our chance to lay it all on the line for each other. It was go time.

Honestly, there’s not much to report about my race. The adrenaline, the physical effort, and the unbelievable heat combined to make my memories of that race a blur. The moments I will remember, though, are the ones where I saw my teammates out on the course, either racing or cheering from the sidelines.

The boys all yelled for us as we came out of the water. Seeing the intensity in their faces reminded me that they were depending on us for the championship. No matter how well they had just raced, they would need strong results from the women’s side to get the overall team title.

Since I’m a slow swimmer, I tend to start out from behind on the bike and make my way through the pack. I like that, since I get to see my teammates along the way. As I passed my teammate Molly, she reminded me to stay to the inside of the road to avoid a penalty. Looking back on how many penalties were given to our team, I’m thankful that she was there to keep me focused.

As I finished the second lap, I heard my coaches yelling at me to drink water- on a 90-degree day, I had forgotten to take one sip thus far. I made sure to stay hydrated over the last 12 miles, but I knew a painfully hot run was just around the corner.

Though I finished the 6.2-mile run in 43 minutes, 30 seconds, it seemed like a lifetime. Because of the intense heat and humidity, I felt like I could collapse at every step. It was thanks to my teammates and coaches that I was able to finish the race.I saw my coaches, Mike and Dave, just as I topped the last of the hard hills. They cared about my safety more than a fast fi nish, reminding me to drink water at every aid station.

Soon afterwards, I saw some of my male teammates. Their faces told me they had confidence in me; that they believed in my ability to run. I wanted to prove them right. All I had to do was keep passing people, one by one.

About four miles in, I saw my teammate Bryn. She couldn’t have been more than a minute ahead of me, but she had started in Wave 1- eight minutes ahead. She was supposed to be our second-fastest girl. What had happened?

Bryn looked over and noticed me. “We need you,” she called out. The fi rst four fi nishers determine the team score. I am not usually a part of that four, but it was clear that something had gone wrong in Bryn’s race. Now, I would be a part of the team score, and finishing the race strong mattered even more.

When I got to the finish line, I vomited and nearly collapsed. When I was able to stand up straight and see clearly, some of my male teammates approached me. “Hey, great race,” Rudy said. “That was unreal,” said my teammate Bryant.

Coach Dave, who had been receiving and taking care of each of our girls as they finished, walked me to the medical tent. I sat down in an ice bath, totally spent. Later on, looking at my time, I saw that I finished third on my team. Bryn had flatted on the bike, so we lost her in the team score.

Our coaches didn’t relax until all of our athletes had finished safely. Our teammate Will had collapsed during the men’s race and been taken to the hospital, but we confi rmed that he was doing okay. There was nothing left to do but head back to the hotel and await the results.

The men’s team received multiple penalties for allegedly drafting or blocking on the bike – never on purpose – so we knew the team scores would be shaken up. Nothing would be certain until the awards ceremony, but we all knew that we had given everything on the course, and that was all we could ask of each other.

The awards ceremony gave CU its second National Championship in a row and its 12th overall. Rudy ended up winning the male title due to a penalty by McLarty- not the ideal win, but Rudy deserved it nonetheless. The men’s team earned first, and the women third behind Navy and Army- an impressive finish considering we were without our No.2 girl. The men and women’s combined score was good for the overall title. Together, we accomplished what we had been working for all year.

This team is a family. When we race, we race for the good of each other. I am motivated and inspired by each and every one of teammates, and I hope they can say the same for me. Collegiate Nationals was one of the best days of my life- not because we won, but because we were there for each other. We worked through the highs and lows, the tears, the pain, the frustrations and the victories, as a team. That’s what CU Triathlon is about.

National Champion jersey photo credits: Greg Mionske

Tucson Training Camp

After an incredible weekend racing regionals at Lake Havasu, about 20 members of our team headed to Tucson, AZ for four days of intense training. Coach Mike scared us with what was ahead: "the hardest training week of your life," "I'm not going to stop my 80-mile ride to fix your flat tire, so you better learn how," etc. I envisioned a week filled with throwing up, passing out, crying, the works. But I also hoped that it would be an amazing team bonding experience.

Well, it turns out I was wrong about the first part. I didn't realize how in shape we had gotten, so that five-hour training days and 80 mile rides were actually bearable. I was definitely working hard, and it was the biggest training week I've ever had, but I never felt like crying or giving up. I can thank Mike and his smart coaching for that. Realizing what we were capable of as a team gave me a big confidence boost going into Nationals.

The team bonding part, though, was right on. Coming home from Tucson, I felt like I knew several of my teammates much better than before. By road tripping hours in a car with them, I got to know Laura, Sean, Leigh, and Rob especially well. I also loved riding with Bryn, Maggie, and Molly, pushing through some quality sufferfests with my fellow Nats team members.

Day 1&2: Tempe. My car left a day early from Havasu so Laura could get to an interview in Tempe. We took a much-needed day off and enjoyed an amazing dinner at Sean's grandma's house-- steak, green beans, potatoes, and warm brownies. Lucky us. :) The next morning, we woke up at 6 am to run so Laura could get a workout in before her 8 am interview. Even though it was dark when we started, it was comfortably warm. We ran easy, taking in the beautiful sunrise and the ASU campus. When we got back to our hotel, we had run 5 miles, but felt like we had barely worked. Since when did a 5 mile run feel so easy? Laura left for her interview, and Sean, Rob, and I headed to Tucson.

When we met back up with the team, we went straight to the University of Arizona pool and swam over 5000 yards. Again, while it was definitely a long workout, it didn't feel that hard. The sea level oxygen was nice on our lungs, and the outdoor pool was definitely more enjoyable than Clare Small. A short run from the hotel afterwards, dinner, and a good night's sleep got us ready for the craziness that was Tuesday.

Day 3: Run, swim, bike. We started the morning off with an insanely long race-pace track workout. That's all the detail I'm allowed to give (coach's orders-- we want to keep the competition guessing!) I can say, though, that my race-pace on the track felt much faster than it did at Havasu. I guess adrenaline really does work wonders! After the track, we had a big breakfast and headed to the pool for an easy swim in sunny weather: relays for our Tri Team "Olympics" and a short set.

We had lunch, relaxed for awhile, and then did our first Tucson ride: about 30 miles up and over Gates Pass. I did most of the ride with Bryn, Maggie, and Molly-- we were all exhausted, but we got a paceline going and worked our way through. We met up with Tess, Nate, Will, and Rob on the way home and headed back to the hotel together after a very long day. Bianchi's pizza and Ben and Jerry's pints were just what we needed to refuel. At Bianchi's, I witnessed a miracle when Ryan Bice ate more pasta, pizza, and garlic bread than could possibly fit in his stomach. We may be mediocre at three sports, but we are pros at eating.

Day 4: MOUNT LEMMON! This was the epic day we had all been anticipating / dreading / havingnightmaresabout. 80-miles round trip, including 23 miles of climbing. I think the only thing that stopped us from running away as fast as possible was Mike's promise of famous cookies at the summit. It took us about an hour to get to the base of the mountain from our hotel. At that point the fast group took off, and Bryn, Maggie and I set up our paceline again. It was the longest ride any of us had ever done (my longest by 25 miles), so we decided to start off easy and not kill ourselves. 2 and a half hours of painful pedaling later, we reached mile 23, only to find no sign of cookies anywhere. We got a little discouraged, a little frustrated, and a little confused-- where was our team? Turns out we had a mile or so left to go-- but hey, we'd already made it this far, and we weren't about to give up now.

When we asked someone in a car for directions and finally made it to Cookie Land, we were not disappointed. After waiting in a forever-long line, we received cookies the size of dinner plates. I ate as much as I could, but Bryn outdid me by finishing the whole thing (hardcore.) We hung out at the top for a little while, then started making our way back down. The descent was the most fun part of the whole day. Bryn, Maggie, Ryan, Bobka, Alex Kehr and I took the descent easy-- no need for broken bones. We stopped pretty often to check out the incredible views and take pictures. I would've wanted it to go on forever, but my butt was starting to hurt... and when we made it down to the base, the fun was over. The ride back to the hotel was excruciatingly hot and filled with rush hour traffic. I lost a cleat, and my legs felt like Jell-O. When we finally made it home, I gave it one final push for a 20 minute brick run, and then it was hot tub time. We chilled for awhile at the hotel, ate a big team dinner of burritos (what else?), and slept like rocks. One more day to go.

Day 5: Easy trail run at the bottom of Gates Pass. All our legs were pretty much fried, so we took it slow and enjoyed the scenery. Just a nice recovery run to get moving before another all-day car ride. The rest of the day was spent traveling back to Boulder, where real life would resume again.

What we accomplished at Tucson made me so proud of our team. There were definitely hard moments-- frustration, pain, fear, and even a few tears. But we were more prepared for those workouts than we ever thought we would be, and we had each other to lean on. Every single one of us made it to the top of Mount Lemmon-- that's impressive. Suffering together definitely makes you stronger as a team, and our team did that really well over spring break. I think that's made obvious by the fact that after not seeing each other all day on Friday, we were ready for another team dance party on Saturday night.

Going into Nationals, I couldn't have asked for a better experience. I love each and every one of my teammates, and I know they all helped me through Havasu and training camp in one way or another. Now it's time to take all that training and channel it into race day. We race for each other. B3.

Give and take,
Caryn

Havasu Race Report

I just had the most rewarding spring break of my life.

A week ago today, my team and I were prepping for race day at Lake Havasu, AZ. We went about the usual pre-race day routine: 20 minute run, half hour bike, quick dip in the lake, short transition practice, packet pickup, huge pasta dinner. There were a few nerves, but most of us were just excited, proud to wear the CU jersey, and ready to throw down against the other MCTC teams. Early to bed...

And early to rise. We biked from our campsite to transition at about 5:30, set up our gear, and warmed up. Before getting into the lake, we did our team cheer, led by Nate Diaz, the "most ethnic" kid on our team in the absence of Cedric:

Iki la boomba
Iki la wiki liki
Affa la waffa laffa
Oo-chee-ahh...
C-O-R... shit... (Nate has some spelling troubles)
C-O-L-O-R-A-D-O
What's that spell? Colorado! 
What's that mean? Victory!


And into the cold, early-morning water. The sprint waves went first, with several of our CU girls along with Coach Mike and Coach Dave. Then the men's Olympic, and then... we were off!

The swim: 1600 meters. Out around a couple buoys, then down the channel, then back up the channel to T1. My swim was VERY slow. I swam right next to Rihanna without realizing it for awhile, but once we turned around to come back up the channel I lost her. Got a little off track a couple times, thanks to lousy swim form that I've been trying so hard to correct. But eventually I made it out, in 29:07 - almost two minutes faster than last year. My swim-to-bike transition was pretty awful, too - over two minutes! And once I made it out on my bike, there were more issues to come.

About 3 miles into the bike, while I was on my aerobars, I noticed that they were starting to angle down. Realizing something was wrong, I sat up, and suddenly my aerobars were in my hand. They had completely come off my bike. I rode with them in my hand for a few seconds, trying to decide what to do. Then, when I found a sign on the side of the road I knew I would recognize later, I threw the aerobars towards the sign-- I wasn't about to bike 23 more miles with them in my hands.

Then the frustration set in. I'd gotten used to riding with aerobars, so going back to my drops felt awkward. I knew I had wasted time and needed to catch up, and my Nats team spot was on the line. I was tired and breathing hard almost immediately. I knew there were several girls on my team that swam faster than me but that I could catch on the bike, but they were nowhere in sight. Negative thoughts starting creeping in, threatening to discourage me, but I tried my best to fight them away. I suffered through the infamous "Box," a series of steep, intimidating hills, and knew the worst was over. But I still had to hold on.

I credit my teammate Morgan for helping save my race. She's been rooting for me for the Nats team since last year, and when I caught her, she could tell I was struggling. She saw me, picked up her pace, and yelled at me to follow. She kicked me into gear, and when I eventually passed her, my energy was back. I finished the bike strong, coming into T2 with a bike split of 1:14:36 - six minutes faster than last year. But I still had work to do, and it would have to be done on the run.

Coming out of T2, I just tried to pass people one by one. Spot a jersey, catch it, spot another, catch it, and repeat. I focused on staying relaxed and keeping a fast cadence. I saw lots of teammates on the run-- the "fast boys" about to finish just as I was heading out, and Bryn, Tess, Maggie, Courtney, and Molly pushing it for their final miles.  Just after the 3 mile turnaround, I caught Leigh, and I knew my Nats spot was safe as long as I could hold on. Catching Molly with a mile to go gave me the kick I needed to finish strong. As a final push, I passed an Army girl in a sprint to the finish, with my team on the sidelines cheering me on. Growing up in a Navy family taught me never to get beat by an Army jersey. :) I surprised myself with my run time: 40:37, almost three minutes faster than last year. I know I couldn't have done that without having my teammates as rabbits, so I thank them for that. I crossed the finish line with Will Thompson, in a final time of 2:27:27.

I'd been stressing about this race all year, knowing that it would be the deciding factor for whether or not I made Nationals team. I dropped over 7 minutes from last year's time, so I would've considered this race a success no matter what-- but it does feel great to have accomplished my year-long goal. I am a member of Nats Team '11, and I can't wait wear the Colorado jersey in Tuscaloosa in 2 weeks!

As a team, CU rocked this race. Our guys' team took 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, and 9, and our girls took 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, and 12. Good for the men's team win, women's team win, and overall regional championship. Army traveled all the way to Arizona to take us on, but they couldn't hang. ;)

After Havasu, a big group from our team headed to Tucson for a spring break training camp. It was the most rewarding week of training and team bonding I've ever had-- separate blog about that coming soon. After this week, I feel like I've gotten to know some of my teammates so much better, and I'm going to love racing with them at Nats. B3!

Give and take.
Caryn

Spring Season

The spring tri season is officially here-- less than a month until Havasu! Now is the time for race-pace workouts and weekend practices that last well into the afternoon. I love it. Last year around this time, I started to realize how in shape I was and how much the year's training had paid off. It was the first time I felt really ready to take on an Olympic race, and I was pushing myself harder than I could've imagined at the beginning of the year. The spring days started to get warmer, and all I wanted to do was ride bikes and run in the beautiful weather. After those exhausting workouts, we would lie around in the grass at the Boulder High track for awhile, wander over to the creek and try to soak our legs in the freezing water for as long as possible, and then go home to eat our body weights in food and take much-needed naps. I bonded with the team more than ever, and the excitement of Regionals and Nationals slowly started to grow. This week, I've started to feel that anticipation again. With weekend track workouts starting next Sunday, I know the most rewarding part of the season is just around the corner.

After our second full time trial last weekend, coach Mike told us training was about to get intense-- and he wasn't lying. On Thursday, he had us run 2x5k at 10k race pace. We were all dreading it. It was definitely tough, but it felt amazing at the same time. On the first one, I ran a personal best 5k time, which only showed how much my run has improved since high school. It was one of those days I felt "good pain." I was giving it all I had, but I was feeling strong instead of like I wanted to die. It was "fun" in the way that only triathletes and other like-minded people can understand.

This weekend's bike ride was definitely more fun in the conventional sense. About ten of us met up an hour before regular practice and did St. Vrain loop at a pretty easy pace. It was a gorgeous morning, and we were all happy to be awake. We rode together, no one getting dropped or feeling like they were being held back. We sang Journey, took pictures, and talked about how excited we are for Havasu. I was reminded once again how worth it it is to wake up early on a weekend and get outside, especially with teammates by your side. :)

The other thing I love about training in the spring is that it keeps me sane. Second semester is always stressful, and this year is no exception. My weekdays tend to be nonstop, morning 'till night. Whether I'm going to class, studying, writing articles, helping at the Family Learning Center, filling out scholarship applications, or going to practice, I never seem to have a spare moment. I know I have the option to miss practice and catch up on homework or sleep, but the truth is, I always feel less stressed after a workout. Even if I have to sprint to the Rec to spin for 45 minutes, shower, and barely make it to my next class, it's better than nothing. If I didn't have tri team in the spring, I would lose my mind.

And so begins the countdown: 28 days until Spring Break and Havasu Regionals. Time to bust my butt at practice, keep my Nats team goals in mind, and enjoy the combo of endorphins and fabulous teammates that I can rely on every day. Love you, CU Tri Team!

Give and take.
Caryn

Time Trial

Today my team did a time trial. A short one, just a 500 yard swim and 2 mile run, but challenging nonetheless. Time trials are one of the most valuable things we do because they are a test of our commitment, improvement, and guts. They're also a great place to see teamwork in action: team members cheering each other on and being competitive in a positive way. To boot, our coach wasn't even there this morning, so the effort was all on us - and I didn't notice a single slacker. ;)

I knew it would be a good morning before I even left the apartment because my roommate Hilary was coming with me to do the TT. It's SO much easier to wake up at 7 am on a Sunday when someone else is groggily getting ready with you. Hilary's had a stress fracture and been unable to run since the summer, so this morning's 2 mile was her first run in months. I was proud of her for getting through it and never complaining, especially on 3 hours of sleep!

My heat jumped into the cold, uninviting Comp Pool at about 8:15. Way too early. The swim is always the most difficult for me, so I definitely wasn't looking forward to it. The 500 yd TT is the shortest one we do, so it's not as intimidating as an 800 or 1600 - but because it's short, it's also fast. Today, I worked hard and finished in 8:01. Not amazing, but satisfying enough. My biggest accomplishment was doing flipturns for the whole distance - lame, I know, but it's the first time flipturns haven't seemed too scary in a time trial, and I'm proud of that. :)

Since my swim is always weak in comparison to the rest of the team, I always feel pressure to make up for lost time during the run. Luckily, I have two teammates who are my perfect pace-setters: Tess and Courtney. We started together this morning, and they pushed me through the whole thing. I led for the first mile, then Courtney pulled ahead. I chased her to the finish, ending just a step or two behind her, and Tess came in a few seconds later. The best thing about "races" like this is that no matter the results, we're never negative - we're just thankful for the healthy competition. Honestly, without people to push me, I would be so much slower than I am now. It's the same for Courtney and Tess in the water - for the past two swim TTs, they have been neck-and-neck for the whole thing and finished in a tie, depending on each other to swim their absolute fastest.

Team breakfast at the Walnut Cafe was the perfect end to a rewarding morning. High on endorphins, we ate at a big outside table in our coats, not caring about the cold. The food was delicious, and Julianna entertained us all by adding massive amounts of caffeine to her already crazy self. Our annual retreat at Winter Park is coming up next weekend, and I can't wait for the dance parties, snowshoe adventures, and crucial team bonding that will ensue. We have another TT a couple weeks later, and then it's the countdown to Havasu. I'm loving it.

I'll end with an email that Tess sent out to everyone after this morning's effort. I think it embodies our team's attitude pretty well:

"I just wanted to say good job to everyone who came out to the time trial. I know it is not always easy to get up early on a Sunday morning to go swim/run as hard as you can, but everyone that came did a great job. It is so inspiring to see everyone out there giving it all they have and so good job today everyone!"
Yayyy team :)
- Tess

Give and take.

Caryn

Team

I've been home in Maryland for almost three weeks now. I think I can actually hear Boulder calling my name. I fly back out west tomorrow, and I couldn't be more ready. After finals week, all I wanted to do was come home, relax in my own bed, and work out on my own time. Now, though, I miss having a schedule, being busy, and most of all, training with my team. I have some of the best teammates in the world. They keep me motivated and accountable, and they give me a positive boost when I'm having an off-day. It's much easier to get through the last yards of a swim workout while listening to Rihanna's pep talks than it is to do it alone. It's a lot more fun to run 12 hilly miles while Bobka is by your side saying ridiculous things like, "I just love working hard on a beautiful day!" And it's 10 times more enjoyable to ride bikes outside with Morgan and talk about boys than it is to suffer through a spin class that starts before the sun is up.

Triathlon is not usually a team sport, but those of us on the CU Tri Team know how great it is to have a group of people to practice with and someone to race for other than yourself. Even if we only saw each other at practice, we would be spending an average of 1-4 hours together every day. But that's usually not enough for us. We have team potlucks every week, we hang out together on the weekends, some of us even live together. We see each other at our absolute best and absolute worst, when we feel triumphant after doing well in a race or when we want to die in the middle of a hard workout. My teammate Morgan, who's also part of a sorority, told me her brother bet her once that she was closer with her teammates than with her sorority sisters. When she asked why, he said that the kind of person who can be this dedicated to a sport must be a dedicated friend. I think that's true, and it describes people on our team really well. It takes a certain kind of commitment (and, okay, insanity) to be a triathlete, and that quality also makes us close with each other as friends. That helps explain why I train and race so much better when I'm with my team than when I'm alone.

So, bottom line, I've had enough of this training alone thing. I miss my motivators and friends. And after a well-deserved and fully enjoyed rest, I'm ready to get back to the grind with my team as we start the countdown to Havasu. See ya later, Annapolis!

Give and take.
Caryn