Saturday, May 1, 2010

WCS #2 Approaching….

In a few days, I will be traveling back across the Pacific once again, but this time to Seoul, South Korea. Less than three weeks ago I raced the first World Championship Series Race of the year in Sydney, Australia and finished in 8th place. Sydney was an amazing city and I would have loved to stay an extra few days and vacation; however, this is not exactly in the training plan at the start of the season. I quickly returned to the US and suffered for a few days from jet lag and travel. But, once I felt recovered, I was anxious to get back into some quality training in preparation for Seoul.
On April 25th, I raced in the St. Anthony’s Triathlon in St. Petersburg, Florida. The goal of this race was to be able to incorporate a tough workout into my training block ----and there is no better way to get in an intense quality workout than jumping into a race!! Florida felt much like Sydney, warm and humid… I did not have to pack any cold weather gear.
Speaking of packing….I will have to prepare much differently for Seoul. Cool and possibly wet conditions are likely for Korea and I will make sure to bring my arm warmers, rain jacket and tights. I will definitely need my TYR Hurricane Wetsuit, as I have a feeling the water is going to be COLD. I think one of the unique characteristics of triathletes is our ability to adapt to adversity. I can’t imagine too many other sports travel several weeks apart to different continents and race in quite drastically different conditions. I love a challenge and look forward to getting out on the start line and putting forth 100% of my effort; both physically and mentally.

Monday, April 26, 2010

St. Anthony's Triathlon

Race Report: St. Anthony’s Triathlon
This past Sunday, I competed in the prestigious St. Anthony’s Triathlon. The race is beginning to have a hometown feel to me, as it was my fourth time competing at the race. I missed last year after undergoing surgery in Feb. or 09’ at DISC Medical facility in CA for a nerve entrapment release in my leg. This was the first time we stayed in downtown St. Pete’s and experienced the atmosphere and flavor of city.
The race is EARLY, especially traveling from Colorado with a 6:55AM start (which is more like a 4:55AM start; however, once race morning arrives any feeling of tiredness is replaced with a rush of adrenaline!) I woke up at 4:40AM; had my normal breakfast and walked the .8 mile to the transition area to get setup. It is still very dark at 5:30AM, so fortunately Nate had his flashlight to help me get all my gear set up in transition. Around 6 AM, I started my warm up and ran down to the swim start, followed by some activation, drills and strides. I wanted to make sure to get in the water and test out a couple of runs into the water since it was a beach start. The water felt very refreshing at 74 degrees vs. the muggy, humid 76 degree morning.
The men started promptly at 6:52 and we began just three minutes behind. I had a decent start, next to Laura Bennett who is one of the best in the world at beach starts. She had a body length on me after the run into the water, but I remained calm and got right on her feet for the first 400meters of the swim. After the first couple of buoys, I took over the swim lead and swam at a comfortable, but strong pace. The swim started off fairly calm, but the waves definitely picked up the second half of the swim. As I approached the steps to climb out of the water, I was grateful a couple of volunteers were there to help me onto that first step, as I was feeling a little dizzy from the waves at that point.
Once out on land, I focused on getting my TYR Sayonara off as quickly as possible and strapping on my Rudy Project Wingspan TT Helmet. I felt comfortable on my Fuji D-6 with my 921 Oval Aerobars, ISM Adamo saddle, Zed Tech 404 and Sub9 disc. I also loved my new pedals from Sampson Sports; Stratics S6, which are lightweight, yet have a great platform for power. The bike was a bit windy (wind from the south), so the first 15 miles of the bike were challenging. I focused on making sure all my corners were smooth and keeping up a high and steady tempo. At two points on the course (around mile 3 and mile 17), I could see where the other girls were located. I noticed I had about at least a minute lead over the next girl, so I continued to ride at my pace and made sure to hydrate in preparation for the run. I drank 36oz of EFS fluid while on the bike course, much more than most races beginning at 6:55AM due to the high humidity in Florida!
Heading into T2, I focused on starting the run off at a high tempo pace, especially thinking about my form. The run is an out and back, so I only could see the other competitors at the half-way mark. I noticed I had a lead by a couple minutes, so I knew if I could keep everything together at that point, I should break the tape in first. I was very glad to get to that last stretch of the run, knowing that I accomplished my goal for the day! My time was the second fastest for me on that course (although it is tough to compare overall times because conditions change so much from year to year!).
After the awards ceremony, we headed home back to Colorado. This made for almost two days in one, but it was nice be able to spend my recovery day on Monday at home. The travel home was much easier than the travel to Florida….we had to drive in a snowstorm up to Denver last Friday! Yes, Colorado can still get pounded with snow at the end of April!!! Hopefully, that snow was the last!!! I am now gearing up for my second WCS race in Seoul, Korea on May 8th. Recently I have been doing lots of traveling and racing, but this is my last race for quite some time (five weeks). I will spend most of May and part of June training for the races upcoming in this summer.
Best Wishes
Sarah

All Matching!

All Matching!
Some of the new 2011 TYR cycling kits matched great with my Fuji and Zipp wheels!

Run Shots!

Run Shots!
New 2011 run gear. Poor TJ was quite sore after his 70.3 the weekend prior.

Downtown Sydney

Downtown Sydney
This is taken from the 20th floor of my hotel room. You can see just to the left where we swam in near the Opera House.

Check out the Scenery

Check out the Scenery
Out training in Idaho before heading to the airport! Beautiful lake in the background.

Ready For 2024!

Ready For 2024!
My niece has my suit and Speedo backpack...ready to train (but I think she mentioned she was going to Six Flags!)

Marin Triathlon

Marin Triathlon
Becky and I hanging out at the awards post race

Seoul WCS Finish Line

Seoul WCS Finish Line
I though I had finished the race, but I forgot to cross the timing matt completely until 10 sec later!!

Holding the Cup!

Holding the Cup!
Race to the Toyota Cup winners in Dallas, Texas. The cup was heavy...and brrr it was a cold weekend in Dallas!

Post-Race

Post-Race
Matt Reed was first for the men's race

Crossing the Tape

Crossing the Tape
Always a good feeling to break the tape!

On the Bike in Minnesota

On the Bike in Minnesota
Here I am on my Blue at the Lifetime Fitness Triathlon this past Saturday

LTF Swim Start

LTF Swim Start
Here we are right at the horn (I am in the Blue). Thank Paul Phillips for all the great pics more at: http://www.competitiveimage.us/tri/Sarah-Haskins/index.html

Bike Shot

Bike Shot
Out on the bike course---quickly going through my bottles!!

Flying Dive

Flying Dive
Here I am headed back into the water after the first lap.

Crossing the Finish!

Crossing the Finish!
4th place

T2

T2
I am headed into the transition area--ready to run!

Washington DC WCS #3

Washington DC WCS #3
Here is a pic of my bike pack out on the course

Ready, Set....GO!

Ready, Set....GO!
My parents came to visit me in Colorado over Memorial Day weekend (Nate was out of town). They came along to a track workout and Sarah wanted to race me!!!

Cheyanne Mountain Zoo

Cheyanne Mountain Zoo
Feeding the giraffes---they have LONG tongues...

Enjoying a Popsicle!

Enjoying a Popsicle!
Maybe most is not getting in her mouth...but that's not always the point, right? Sarah and my parents are enjoying a lunch at the training center.

Run Workouts For Runners and Triathletes

Run Workouts For Runners and Triathletes
Here is a picture of Bobby McGee's new book.

Babies are Wiped Out

Babies are Wiped Out
Megan and I are holding the sleeping girls---

Sarah, Sarah and Anna

Sarah, Sarah and Anna
Sarah (2 yrs) is getting to know her new baby sister!

Sarah Sharing Her Tags!

Sarah Sharing Her Tags!
When Sarah goes to sleep she puts the tags from her blankets on her eyelashes (she always uses the yellow one). She also thinks everyone else wants the tag when they sleep too---including her newborn sister!

Mom, Baby and Sarah

Mom, Baby and Sarah
Megan and Anna are both doing well. This picutre was the day Megan and Anna got to come home from the hospital. Sarah giving Anna some snuggels!

Michael and Meghan's Wedding

Michael and Meghan's Wedding
Nate and I are getting ready to walk down the asile for my brother's wedding.

High Powered Fans

High Powered Fans
These fans are the horsepower of the tunnel...very powerful! They can simulate speeds of 80mph.

Holding the Flower Girl!

Holding the Flower Girl!
Feb. 14th wedding day....Nate and I are holding our niece, Sarah. She did a great job walking down the asile at 23 months!

Inside the Tunnel

Inside the Tunnel
On my Triad, in my new aero position!

Last Minute Travel

Last Minute Travel
Here we are with our U-Haul...we made it safe and sound!

Wren Hollow Elementary

Wren Hollow Elementary
A couple of weeks ago I went back to my Elementary school and spoke to the kids about Triathlon, goal setting and the Olympics! They gave a wonderful welcome with signs, posters, and cheers!

Christmas Morning

Christmas Morning
My Mom, Sarah and I are playing with Sarah while she is enjoying her new toy. This elephant is very strong...my Dad sat on it and it held (he is 230lbs!!)

Tulsa, Oklahoma

Tulsa, Oklahoma
Here is Jess snuggling with her babies (Gwen and Rowan). Gwen looks a lot like Jess and Rown look like his daddy, Lucas.

Snow!

Snow!
This view is off my parents deck (the last picture showed the many colors of fall...but winter can be beautiful too!)

Post Parade

Post Parade
Busch Stadium in the background....looks different without the crowds!

On the Run in Beijing

On the Run in Beijing
Racing in the Olympics---if you wonder what the black strap is in my suit, it is my timing chip. It was falling off of my ankle on the bike and I did not want it to get stuck in my chain ring, so I ripped it off and shoved it in my suit!

Another View of Winter

Another View of Winter
Same view as earlier blog post, but with snow!

Holiday Night Out to Dinner

Holiday Night Out to Dinner
Nate and I with Tommy, Sarah (brother-in-law and his finace) and a friend of Sarah's. Tommy and Sarah are getting married October 17th.

Wedding in Minnesota

Wedding in Minnesota
Nate, my cousin Matt Beasley, his wife Lindsay and I. The wedding was beautiful!

Thanksgiving Parade

Thanksgiving Parade
Here I am ready to ride in the yellow Mazda (sponsor for the parade). It was great to see all the families and kids out to watch...

Fall Folliage

Fall Folliage
View off my parents deck

Fall Folliage

Fall Folliage
View from my parents deck

Lake Shot

Lake Shot
View of the pond on my parents property