Sarah Crane - Check in #2 - Triathletes Journey - Ep 043

Narrator: 0:10

Welcome to the athletes in motion podcast from race to recovery. With your hosts, Tom Regal, and Kenny Bailey.

Kenny Bailey<br>: 0:30

Hey, Tom, how are you?

Tom Regal: 0:31

I'm fantastic. Kenny, how are you?

Kenny Bailey<br>: 0:33

I am fantastic. Because we have Sarah back on our program. We this is part of our triathletes journey program. And Sarah was kind enough to join us to help walk through sort of how she Your training is going and her first race and subsequent second race coming up. So Sarah, welcome back.

Sarah Crane: 0:50

Thank you. Glad to be back on board the

Kenny Bailey<br>: 0:52

audience. Could you let us know what you have coming up here?

Sarah Crane: 0:56

Yes, so I am about two weeks out from my first triathlon. As a recording this

Tom Regal: 1:05

probably air the week of your triathlon. So great.

Kenny Bailey<br>: 1:10

Let's just do take two, so

Sarah Crane: 1:14

I am one week away. And I've been talking about it a lot with my friends, especially those I've been training with, I am feeling nervous and excited. And then I have another my second triathlon will be about two weeks after that, so

Kenny Bailey<br>: 1:33

So our next recording is going to be the post of both of those. So we're gonna let you go back to back on those and then we'll come back and see again, so let's break it down. On the physical part, we'll talk about the mental part in a second. But on the physical part, how's the training going? How are you physically feeling to get ready for your sprint?

Sarah Crane: 1:48

Yeah, it's interesting. So I think last time we spoke I was talking about I was going into my April, which is always my craziest work season, it was also final season with my master's program. And I definitely trained less days in April. But it was interesting, I kind of looked back at the end of the month, and I had done close to the same mileage as the month before and so are same distances. And so that was encouraging for me to see like, Okay, I really did still keep up. Even though it was I had longer, I would find like longer chunks to do more mileage, even if I couldn't do it every single day. And so may has found me back training, but also working through kind of the program, I have to start tapering a little bit in the next two weeks, so not yet. And I'm feeling pretty good. I think I physically wish that I had even more time to train, just you know, but grad school and all the things demand a bit of time. And so it's just I've done what I can do so far, you know, of

Kenny Bailey<br>: 3:00

the three disciplines which ones are the ones that you're most comfortable with, and which ones are the one you're most nervous about.

Sarah Crane: 3:07

I think I'm feeling most nervous about the bike to be honest, because I think just I don't feel like I have enough knowledge for like, if I if something happens in the middle of the race, I don't know if I get a flat if other things and I've heard from both interviews y'all have done and others that I've listened to and friends, like there may be people alongside their race and the race that I'm doing with Team magic. They have a really great support system for first time, people. But I think that's the one I'm the most nervous about. Because it feels like everything else is kind of dependent on me right swim and run exactly. It's me, pointe shoes on or my suit on or whatever. But the bike brings in a lot more material. So I feel ready for it as far as physically but I think just like, what if something goes wrong, and I don't know how to fix it is what I probably feel the most anxiety or of the disciplines,

Kenny Bailey<br>: 4:01

but you feel good on the bike, you feel like you can handle the bike. Well, if somebody does something silly and darts out like, you know, I will find out I guess you come back with a patch and Well, thanks, Kenny. For Jason. Yeah, I

Sarah Crane: 4:15

know. Right? Come on. Kenny, do you have a plan? I would love to hear from you guys. If you think this is a good idea. But since it's a local race, I do have a plan that I may try to go bike the route. It's a double loop. So I think at least like do one of the loops and run the route.

Kenny Bailey<br>: 4:34

Yes, yes. Yes. If you can, anytime that you can be on the course be on the course. Yeah. Okay.

Tom Regal: 4:39

Great. That's the best. The benefit of it being a local race is that you'll be able to take a look at things you'll be able to have a better idea of some corners. You know, if there's any bumps, potholes that type of stuff in the road, you'll be able to have a fresher look at it. It's easier on race day.

Kenny Bailey<br>: 4:56

Yeah, yeah. And that kind of goes back to that mentality portion that like you were talking about how you're nervous, what that helps do is reduce that. That anxiety of the unknown. Yeah, sometimes people like it. Like, there's some races where I don't really want to know, to be honest with you, because I know Hills coming up, I'm gonna be upset and I'm going to be over it right? Like, you know what I mean? Because sometimes it can be like, Oh, that's gonna be really hilly, and I don't want to deal with it. Or if you just don't know it, you're in the middle of it like crap, I guess I'm in the middle of the hill, I got to deal with it. But most of the time, having that, like, just removes that anxiety. How you said you were getting nervous. What? Which part? Are you nervous about?

Tom Regal: 5:33

The whole thing. Just start everything. Yeah,

Sarah Crane: 5:40

I guess. I don't feel nervous about the swim. Because we've talked about that I feel the most comfortable with that. Um, and I know and I understand I think I heard this from y'all interviewing the team magic people. And listening to that of their you're very intentional about how kind of how they stagger the swim start times and everything. But I think I need to practice my transitions a little bit more. I practice them with Tom, and I'm feeling nervous about those. So I know if I practice, those are more, I'll feel more comfortable. And then I think just not having done it like, all together and in a race environment and all that I think it will be very exciting. Like I'm anticipating it being very, like exciting and lots of good energy. But I'm just nervous about kind of like, putting it all together and doing it.

Tom Regal: 6:25

Yeah, yeah. When you do it. And it's the thing I was like, Well, if it doesn't go right, you're fine. Right? You just stop, right? It's no big deal. Now when it's race day, it's the thing. Yeah, so there's no, there's no, like, you just gotta keep moving through it and, and figure out the best way. So

Kenny Bailey<br>: 6:42

yeah, but there's something cool about having a big number on like things just and then you look around, and there's a bunch of people, because I have the same fear you do, right? Even I haven't experienced with this stuff. But everyone feels like when I show up, everyone's gonna look like you know, a pro elite athlete, they're all going to be you know, six feet, 135 pounds leaned out, you know, and I'm going to be like, you know, why am I here? Right? And then you find out you just got normal people, right? You just people just as nervous as you probably the best way to cover nervousness as you find somebody else. It's more than rehearsing your what's your problem? I mean, I had a guy at Oregon did that he can't you know, we were standing there. Like, I'm super nervous about this. I said, tell me why. And he's like, we sort of talked through it. I said, you know, it's this, and it's this, and it helps me kind of get that anxiety. But it sounds like it's also excitement from you. It's not just you know, you're not freaking out over it. I think you're just anticipating the, the ride, if you will, right?

Sarah Crane: 7:32

Yeah, absolutely. And I just had two friends who did a triathlon recently. And so they did it together. One who is a bit more seasoned, and one who's brand new. And so it's been fun talking to them to go like, how did it go? What did you wish you had? What did especially the one who's also a first timer. And to hear how and her kind of initial take was, I can see why this is really addicting. And she has another one planned in August.

Kenny Bailey<br>: 8:03

Yeah, yeah. Yeah. If you're a process person, or if you just like the weight of things, there's 38 things you have to do. And you're going to focus on those three things that, you know, on the next race, like, oh, man, if I would have done it this way, I probably, you know, and you think of those just stupid stuff, right? I mean, like I left my I had a pair of zoomies on for one race because it was cold enough to wear a wetsuit but warm enough not to have to. So I thought, I'll just wear my floaty pants, and that'll be easier. And I forgot to take them off on the bike. So I'm leaving the bike exit with a pair of floaty pants on. And I'm like, So what'd you do? You pull over, you know, I peel them off, I threw him in the ditch. And so he's like, I got you and you just go. So the mistakes are going to be ups. But you know, it's, I don't think you're trying to go for a podium this time. Is that a fair? No.

Sarah Crane: 8:47

Encouraged, I think I don't know if we said this on the podcast last time, or maybe even after we finished recording. So apologies to the listening audience. But Tom was encouraging me to approach it like a practice, like particularly this first one, and just get my feet under me kind of learn how everything runs. And so I've tried to keep that in my head along with being like nervous and excited. And I was even talking about that with one of the women I train alongside of because she's doing the women's travel on to and your best just talking about that because we both have other races this summer. And so looking at this very first one as we're just learning right there. That's fantastic.

Kenny Bailey<br>: 9:26

That's a great idea.

Tom Regal: 9:26

Yeah, just have fun with

Kenny Bailey<br>: 9:29

race. Yeah.

Sarah Crane: 9:32

My next race is two weeks. Yeah. So the first one is May 21. The second one is June the fourth

Kenny Bailey<br>: 9:37

June phone data sprint or an Olympic? It's a sprint as well. Okay. And that's the one that's gonna be is this the first one in the pool? Is that right? The first one's

Sarah Crane: 9:45

in a pool. The second one swim in the river. So I haven't gotten to go out and do any open water swim it currently. I know Thompson, offering that I will be down at a lake in Alabama this weekend. So I'm planning to Take my brightest cap and go swim, do some open water swim there. Okay,

Tom Regal: 10:05

I think I'm hosting, I have to look at the calendar who's going to host people out at the lake. I think it's the weekend after your first race. As an open water swim, practice, get just get your face in the water and you know, kind of get used to it open water before the national drive, which is the other one on June 4. So we'll be hosting some people up there just to get there, hopefully get there at least their first experience in open water for the season. Yeah,

Kenny Bailey<br>: 10:35

there's something a lot different. There's no black lines, you actually have to look up and see where you're going that kind of thing. So

Tom Regal: 10:40

the site is worse, right? Sightings interesting, but you'll be going along the shore of the river. So it's, you'll be able to see the super simple side plus the buoys. And you just if you're concerned, you just kind of sit up and the river just takes you.

Sarah Crane: 10:55

That's a question I've had downriver asked me this week is, is the river swim upstream or downstream. So

Kenny Bailey<br>: 11:02

it's always downstream. It's funny to Tom's point, I've done this race, you just jump off the dock and you are swimming eight feet from the dock. Like you're staring people, as you're swimming, you're looking up and there's people staring at you from the dock, like getting ready to get in, because they're in line. And then you've got a little bit open area, but you look up and there's the beach. So you're already I mean, it's it's a very short swim. And, you know, the joke is a tin can can finish it, right? Yeah, because it's a current.

Tom Regal: 11:24

So there's a section probably halfway and halfway almost to the finish where you can actually walk out of the water. If you're right, you're gonna literally the shoreline is right there. And you can, you can stop, stand up, sit down, rest, whatever, and hop back in. And you have to basically you have to do is just float. And if you do nothing else, you will get to the finish of the swim. Yeah, plenty of time.

Kenny Bailey<br>: 11:48

And it's a great road. The bike course is good. And then the run course is just you know, it's an industrial district. And it's hot and gross. And nobody likes it. But you know, it's, it's a good outback. Okay. Yeah. So

Tom Regal: 12:00

someone we talked about before, you mentioned what team magic does. And I think we might have mentioned this in earlier podcast, what team magic does for their new triathletes. And they started it last year, they have a concierge who, who's fantastic Janet Byers, and she, she connects with all the first timers, you get a special color, swim cap, and then you get a wristband, so that allows all the people, all the volunteers and the supporters to actually keep an eye on people with the wristbands and a different color cap. So if there's ever an issue, whatever, you raise your hand, they're keeping an eye on those folks. Especially and you can get that cap, even if you're a seasoned professional, you know, that has some anxiety in the swim or something, you can get that cap as well. It just allows the supporters and the volunteers out there in the kayaks to just keep an eye on you, which is kind of nice, fantastic idea. I think when they stepped that up, I was so happy and impressed with them thinking forward about their you know about their athletes that way. I mean, they just put on such a great race. So

Sarah Crane: 13:02

that's awesome. Yeah, they emailed this week. So they email about two weeks before the race, I guess. And they have a zoom call the week of the race to help talk through any questions, talk through the course tips for first timers. And they also have a website for first timers with like tips and different FA cues. And it's just really nice to feel so supported and it and kind of welcomed in and yeah,

Kenny Bailey<br>: 13:30

yeah, I mean, to echo what Tom says, I think what team magic, you know, just they're doing a women's only triathlon. And, you know, they're taking accommodations for people that are new, I think they're doing all the right things. I mean, they're, they're hitting all the right boxes. And that's encouraging for old timers like Tom and I, because we want to see people you know, get into the sport and be excited about it and be able to, to your point, it's a it's a complex three sports combined into one and it gets complex and you're carrying a bunch of gear and, you know, in the fact that people are helping you kind of understand and navigate that so that when when you you can just have a great experience. So we're excited for you. I think you feel it feels to me, like you said, you know, you're doing you're doing the workouts and yeah, that's probably everybody feels like at some point, you're probably not doing enough or doing whatever you never feel like totally ready. Rarely do. Right? But it sounds like you're a good headspace you're approaching it like you said not you know sort of like a an excitable practice but you know, you just go through the progression that's what you're going to do. So it feels like your headspace coming in is great. And and the attitude is everything on these things, right? So if you just know something's gonna go wrong, you just have to, you know, fix it, move forward, fix it, move forward, you'll be thinking it'd be great.

Sarah Crane: 14:39

Thanks. That's great advice. I need to just keep that in mind. And

Tom Regal: 14:43

keep that in mind. Yeah, make sure you during the race, make sure you stop and smile and look around. Seriously, it seems little it seems like this whatever, whatever. It's if you just like you're about to get on the bike and run out of transition. Just stop Take a breath, look around and just be amazed, like and soak it all in, enjoy that part of it, especially as you're coming up to the finish on the run. You know you're getting there to the finish you're going through, soak it in, there's gonna be a lot of people there cheering. You feel like a rockstar, it's the coolest, the coolest part of the race is is going in and out of transition. Because there's so many people that are cheering you on. And it's just a great experience. There really is. Are there any workouts that you hate right now? Is there anything? Like when you look at your schedule, and you go haha, if I have to do another set of those schedules, and yes, some people do.

Sarah Crane: 15:38

Um, I think the one that I didn't like the most is I had one that was a brick workout. But it wasn't just a brick workout. It was like what was working on transition. So it was like biking and running about four different times of like, auditioning. And so yeah, and so just like to the logistics of because doing it and be like are these people see me like run back and forth and then bike back and forth. And then all of that, but also just the like, Okay, now get back on. Okay, now get so I know it's really, really good for like my legs and the practice and that, you know, but um, that set of it all together was not my favorite. I like to do this once. Maybe it's good, because then like I'm racing, it's like, Oh, I'm just doing that transition one time instead of four times. But yeah, that's probably probably my least favorite.

Kenny Bailey<br>: 16:33

I will say my most favorite one. But yeah,

Sarah Crane: 16:36

surprising most favorite one is that my friend Elizabeth rez, I feel like I shout her out.

Tom Regal: 16:42

It's awesome. Yeah, she

Sarah Crane: 16:45

and I, she's just been a great training buddy, she and I went out to Cornelia Ford airpark, which I had not been to. And we did our time trial on our bikes. And that was just really fun. Because usually, I'm just kind of doing my time trial on all set somewhere and go do it. And so it's not quite as accurate, probably, but with the hills in Nashville, it's good training. But to kind of get out there and see there's all different kinds of people out there and see a new place. I think that's been part of the journey with this whole experience. And it's fun. We had a lot of headwind on one side, but on one side, it was going with us and so to get quite fast.

Kenny Bailey<br>: 17:25

That's addictive, isn't it?

Sarah Crane: 17:27

Yeah. And then there were deer out and they were turning all kinds of birds. So it was just like a really unexpected, fun experience to have as part of training. So that's

Tom Regal: 17:38

when you're in a tight schedule, and you're having to kind of lock things down to the same route, the same everything, it can get quite boring. So it's good that you were able to mix it up and get up there. Absolutely. That so nice. Well, we're excited for you. We got so we'll be we'll be watching. I'll be there. I'm going to cheer everybody on and and help out. So we'll be we'll be watching you through your race. We're excited about it. So thank you very much again for sharing your story. And checking back in with us again. And everyone. Thanks for all your support and all your questions and comments and thumbs up five stars, all the good stuff. We appreciate all of you as well. So and don't forget to subscribe on YouTube. I don't know where I'm gonna put it there. I don't know it's one of those things that subscribe so you can catch up on all of these things. We'd love to have all of you on there. So thanks again everybody, and we'll catch you next time.