Sarah Crane - Race Recap! - Athletes in Motion Podcast EP 046

Narrator: 0:10

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

Tom Regal: 0:29

Hey, Kenny, how you doing?

Kenny Bailey<br>: 0:30

I am doing fantastic, Tom, how are you?

Tom Regal: 0:32

I am fantastic as well, because we have our triathlete of the year and here with Sara crane. Welcome back.

Sarah Crane: 0:40

Thank you happy to be back.

Tom Regal: 0:42

Yeah. So we've been following Sara long as one of our athletes in motion or athletes or triathletes journey. In the athlete. podcast. It's a string of words. Yeah, it's just as original. We're working with all of this. Yeah. But Sara, we've been falling long during her first sprint and Olympic triathlon, at least training for and attempting and now we have some like what happened?

Kenny Bailey<br>: 1:06

Yes, that we've been intentionally not talking to you about this at all, because we wanted to save it until now. So I think the first one was a women's only sprint. And then you did the Olympic. I did the sprint sprint on the other one. Okay. So let's talk about the women's only one.

Sarah Crane: 1:20

You guys keep pushing me towards the Olympia? Not yet. We're trying to push.

Kenny Bailey<br>: 1:25

We're trying to do what you're saying. But I'm just saying. So you show up? Well, first off, we were talking earlier before we got on the air about the idea of kind of prep, right getting ready the day before. So give us this sort of pre day. Do you have a ritual now that you're trying to do or you just go Oh, my God, what am I doing? Or what's your day before? Look like?

Sarah Crane: 1:44

Yeah, I think I'm starting to build that now that I'm to track.

Kenny Bailey<br>: 1:47

Look at. Yeah. Multi you finish your trial?

Sarah Crane: 1:52

i No. No, I think it was interesting between the first and the second. I noticed that I had I was way less nervous about the second one. Yeah. Because the first one, I was like, to have all my things checking my list next year. Yes. It's been like a couple of days before. Yeah. Thankfully, I had a great list from having spoken with both of you and going to Tom's transition clinic kind of what to have, what not to have. Oh, that's it? Yeah. And so what I ended up doing kind of both days before was making sure I had like my backpack, I had chosen to put all my stuff in, had all my stuff laid out. Thankfully, both of the races, I did have the option to check your bike in beforehand and get registered the day before.

Tom Regal: 2:35

And that's really handy. If you if you get that opportunity. Take it

Sarah Crane: 2:39

Yeah, so I really liked that. Because then I had the packet that had all my numbers and all of that to kind of like putting my number on my helmet, putting my number on my bike, checking my bike in.

Kenny Bailey<br>: 2:49

Once you get that number feels

Sarah Crane: 2:50

real, doesn't it? Yes, it does. It feels very. Now I had to decide. I was like, should I put my tattoo on the night before? Should I do it the morning of end up doing them both the morning have worked fine.

Kenny Bailey<br>: 3:02

And for folks that don't know these are temporary numbers that go on like, well like a tattoo or their temporary tattoo that you put water we

Tom Regal: 3:09

used to Sharpie them on your arm and then it would take forever to come off and some people were allergic to it. So they went to this nice and I know team magic uses them extensively. So some other races do don't whatever. Yeah, you got to get your number on your

Sarah Crane: 3:22

card. It's moved to both Yeah, so and you I had tattoos on both sides of the arm. So getting my number on my arm, and kind of the night before laying out all of my stuff like okay, I have my timer like angle band and my wristband and my also is just ready with my triathlon kit ready for the morning. All of that. I think the second time, I thought a little bit more about, you know, kind of prepping thinking through transitions and timing of things. The first one I was just like, I don't know, I'm just gonna try it and see what happened. So I took your advice of the first one treat it like a practice. Yeah. And I love that I had done that first one, and it was much smaller than the second one was much bigger. It was just

Tom Regal: 4:09

300 Little over 300 For the first for the women's race 313 or something like that, or 30 or something like that. So it was a good, it was a decent, it was a decent number was great. It was the inaugural race. So it was nice to have that many people show up for the inaugural race and it worked out great because the storms blew through right before and then cleared out for a beautiful day.

Kenny Bailey<br>: 4:29

Yeah, the second one. Excuse me. I think Joe Fleener from Team magic posted it was over 3000 people there between the crowd and the participants. Yeah, actually, we're on site. So yeah, yeah.

Tom Regal: 4:41

We had we had there was almost 1000 racers. Yeah. So for that,

Kenny Bailey<br>: 4:46

so go from 300 to 3000 Total people, right. Yeah, because you know, the crowds kind of crazy. Okay, so you're all prepped. You get up in the morning.

Tom Regal: 4:53

Did you sleep the night before?

Sarah Crane: 4:58

Neither did I sleep Yeah, I made myself get in bed really early. Yeah, but I just It took me a while to fall asleep. That's fine. I think I was so excited. Yeah. And she'll say the unknown of what was coming. Yeah, yeah.

Kenny Bailey<br>: 5:12

So on the women's only knew it it was a it was a pool swim right so that probably is a little bit more controlled if you will rather than like an open water. How did you? How did you Okay, so you got there let's just go into the highlights so

Sarah Crane: 5:24

yeah, so got their bike is already checked in. I think it was nice at both races because I have people I knew like Tom was there with his tent set up. There were friends I knew racing both races and so to get to see those people and kind of start the day with some friendly faces. It was pretty cool the morning of because the storms have blown through so kind of had like a sweatshirt on because it was cold. So then kind of getting in the mindset of okay, we're gonna go swim and all of that got my transition area set up thanks to Tom's great coaching of how to do that. And set up you know, my shoes. I was not wearing clips for my bike. So I only have my one pair of tennis shoes, and then my helmet I put my things in my helmet that I wanted on the bike with me. So that was a tip I had learned and then I had like my small pile with my racing number. And I don't know if that I had anything else for my running because I have my shoes already. Yeah, my sunglasses. Well, you gotta have the sun. Yeah. And so because I think on that day was kind of overcast. So I didn't put my sunglasses. Open ones though. I did not I actually, I got some gutters. Oh, yeah, well, I really ended up ended up liking those. This is my first time

Kenny Bailey<br>: 6:44

to run well, as you transition to a pro, you'll need to get the big

Sarah Crane: 6:47

air or the fancy ones that go on your bike helmet. Those are like super interesting. I may have. I feel like you have to be a really good biker to be allowed to wear it.

Tom Regal: 7:02

It's all about the look. It's about the photos. That's all we care about. We don't even care about the speed. You just look good. You look

Kenny Bailey<br>: 7:10

like you know you pop up like public water. Yeah, I'm not dying on the bike at all.

Sarah Crane: 7:16

Perfect. So teach me all the crap. So

Kenny Bailey<br>: 7:20

was it a self selection when it came to the swim? Or was it based off a number when you got in the water?

Sarah Crane: 7:26

So we had given our times and registration and so then they had seated people by times and the women's travel on. And it's a snake right? You're It's a snake through the pool. So you start on one side, the Supersprint started ahead of us. So they started and they just were doing two laps, so a set up like an Olympic length pool, okay, meters. And then so they started first once the last person went from that they started the sprinters and we did for length. And I'm gonna say I didn't really love the pool swim. I prefer like having not done pool and open water actually prefer the open water swim. I think part of it is because they set it up really well where the lanes were really wide.

Tom Regal: 8:09

They doubled the length, they double width, they pulled one lane line out so you had double the width. So there was plenty of room for

Sarah Crane: 8:15

everybody in the room, but having to go under the lines. And then what was challenging for me was I got to the third length. So the first two were like fine. Get to the third link and they're about eight people stacked up on the wall. Yeah, and I'm swimming and going okay, I know I have to touch the wall so I don't like disqualify. But I don't know if all these people are trying to go under the rope at the same time if they're resting if they're like panicking some of my life garden stinks went like partly Okay, yeah, but I know there were lifeguards around job. So I ended up coming into the wall touching and then diving as deep as I could to try to go under everybody else. And I popped up on the far side of the lane. Like I just was like, hockey is

Tom Regal: 9:02

just look at me.

Sarah Crane: 9:05

This is my only strength of you know, three so I went background you're just

Kenny Bailey<br>: 9:12

doing a medley like I'm gonna share with the butterfly first and then

Sarah Crane: 9:17

breastroke but no, I was more so like, I want to get out of their way in case anyone is panicking. I don't want to get like break. So I was like, just want to get out of the way as fast as I can and clear out of here. Um, so yeah, so that was a pool swim. Then the second race was an open water right. diving off of the dock. Yes. And I ended up liking that a lot better.

Kenny Bailey<br>: 9:44

Yeah, is it is it because of there's why? Yeah,

Sarah Crane: 9:49

I mean, there's I think there are multiple reasons. I think the first time I had not thought about how we were all getting in the water of like the jumping in and that felt very awkward. When I preferred it, like dive or jump in where I can push off the bottom and go like, I don't know, that was awkward the first time so the second time is like a little more ready. The second race, I racked with my triathlon club. So that was not something that I knew what that looked like. But at least at this race, if you're in a triathlon club and registered with them, then they'll let you rack your bike with them. And that puts you closer to the start. And so that was really nice because

Tom Regal: 10:27

because they stacked they stacked up the club's first. Yeah, so you went yeah, club. Yeah. And everybody else went after that. So I

Sarah Crane: 10:34

was very near like the BT Club, which I know kind of you're a part of and then heat from Hendersonville, East National Triathlon Club National triathlon club. Yeah, working triathlete, kind of all of those people were stacked. So that was nice. I know a lot of people don't like the open water because it feels really crowded. It was not crowded for me.

Kenny Bailey<br>: 10:52

So that is probably jump off. What

Sarah Crane: 10:54

every three seconds. I think they have every three to five seconds. They had us go under and as you start going, go, yeah. The It was nice, because as y'all had told me, the current was kind of going with us. Yeah. So it wasn't fighting the, the current in the open water. And I grew up swimming out lakes and stuff. Okay, so I'm more comfortable than most people. Yeah. And on Friday before the race had gone and done the open water swim at Anderson beach at Percy priest or Tom help spot and Janet from Team magic. Great. Also spotting. And so that was a good kind of prep for that as well.

Tom Regal: 11:31

Read about I don't we had almost 30 people out there. Everybody was getting their swim prep. And that was for the draft.

Kenny Bailey<br>: 11:37

And I think it's really important because I mean, sometimes people will show up just be pool swimmers and think, Well, I could do open water. It's like, well, there's siding. Yeah, there's, you know, there's current, there's, to your point, you're not going to be able to see there's no black line, and you're gonna have a bunch of people around you. So yeah, it's really important just to get on feel the water.

Sarah Crane: 11:53

Yes, I will say my friend who did it with me said she personally had a little bit of a panic when she jumped in just because of that exact reason. She had not been used to open water swimming. There was no line. It was a bit chaotic. She was with a lot more people. But she and I both said kind of you know, you got in your head and go. Okay, just one. Just do. What's nice

Kenny Bailey<br>: 12:12

about that. One is you're you're literally eight feet from the dock. Because what's what you know, for people that that don't know, what happens is you stand on his dock, right? And then you just jump off the edge of it and you're like eight feet from the dock. And so half of your swim, you're basically waving at people that are waiting to get in the waiting line you like beach and party for the next 200 and you're out right so

Sarah Crane: 12:32

my friend Brinkley was on the dock and shouted, exactly. Which is kind of neat, right? Yeah, it was fun.

Kenny Bailey<br>: 12:38

So there you go. So openwater much better than the other one. So you felt a lot more comfortable and you also kind of knew what was happening right? Because I think the chaos we we did the we did the team triathlon. Yeah, let and we're runner that came in said she's never been to a triathlon. And she was just overwhelmed by the sheer, like amount of stuff going on? Yes. Is that did that at first kind of hit you? Or was it something that you because you knew what you needed to do? Or? Or because you had friends that was there a little bit easier? Or how did that feel when you sort of walked up? And when you know, people were breaking bikes, you've got people over here, the porta potties lined up, like you wouldn't believe you're like, should I go? I think I should go. I don't know if I should go. But do I have to go? But I gotta get alone if I don't know that kind of thing. I mean, is it?

Sarah Crane: 13:16

Yes, I think that having friends there helped because I could kind of ask questions. I think team magic in particular, I've not raced with anyone else. So I can't say but they have a great for your first time racers. They have the race concierge. So there's a tent, you can go and ask questions. And then they also had racks outside of transition to help you get set up and they had volunteers there. If you're a first timer, even if you weren't a first timer to just like help you. Where do you put your number? What do you do? What like why would you put it in the front or the back? Like what are people's preferences and or on the bar of your bike? And, you know, there were just a lot of people there to help answer questions, which I think was helpful. It was definitely, I think the first one was more overwhelming of it than the second one because I had already done it. You kind of know what

Tom Regal: 14:07

you can go through all the practice and talk about what the transitions and how this thing looks until you get to race day. And when you get to race day, then it becomes like it's overwhelming. Right? You look at like I have to come in from here and I've got one out over there. Now it's not this close. It's a distance and the second one was even bigger. Right? So it's like, and once you've been through it, then it makes sense then you can Benyon go Okay, the next race you can come out and go okay, I get it. You know, you kind of get a better feel the flow. Yeah. And

Kenny Bailey<br>: 14:39

there's, there's a couple of things going on. I think if you ask anyone they're like, hey, you know, do you know where the run out? Is? Almost it most people incredibly nice. I mean, they're gonna they're gonna even if you don't have a tenant, yes. What did you take advantage of that? The tenant did I did? Yeah. Great. Because you were you were going to use that and so

Sarah Crane: 14:55

yes, I took advantage of that. I really liked that and it was nice to Magic also gives you an armband. That's a first timer armband. So then if you're out on the race, people can cheer for you if they see that, but also, if you need any extra help it kind of flags that. Yeah. It's like bright green. And then afterwards, if you go to their tent, they give you a prize. Oh, fun.

Kenny Bailey<br>: 15:22

Man listening. We're gonna send this Iron Man. Yeah, but guys, you charge a crap ton of money. Yeah, sir, I think. And that's really helpful, right? Because like you said, it's, it's, you feel a sense that, you know, people know that you it's your first time and they're not going to kind of leave you high and dry. But, but the good news is for folks that don't if they do a triathlon, and they don't have that type of service, most everybody is going to help everybody out, like, Hey, I don't know where to put my bike.

Tom Regal: 15:49

Your community is fantastic. I think.

Sarah Crane: 15:52

I think that was one of my favorite parts. I told you all that kind of training, it's been one of my favorite parts, and then on race day to see, that's what it is all over the community is amazing. On the morning of my second triathlon, I had let air out of my bike tires, because it was so hot. And I'd had, I was pumping my tires at the car before I checked in and I had a very friendly person say, hey, actually, you might not want to do that. It's so hot. It might cause your tires to pop when you get on them tomorrow. Yeah. And I was like, I had no idea. And so he told me a little bit more, I let some air out some morning and I had forgotten my pump in my car. Yeah. And I was like, well, I could walk over and get it. But the person like two bikes down for me had their pump and there were three of us ended up. Yeah. And then the person next to me, she couldn't find her goggles. And she was like, I think I left them at home. I don't know where they are. Another person gave her a pair of goggles. So everybody's kind of helping each other out answering questions.

Kenny Bailey<br>: 16:52

Because I think everybody, we all know we're in the same boat at this point, right? We all know, the nervousness to your point. You know, 40 things, you got to remember shoe socks, you know, hat, sunglasses to your point, suntan lotion, you know, do I have my food on my bottles, you know, all this sort of stuff? And if you forget something, you know, I think most people are I would absolutely give you know if I had an extra period just because you want that person to succeed. Yes, just behind me, but they gotta beat him. But he

Tom Regal: 17:18

wants a time. You want to beat him fair? Because they have an excuse. Like, yeah, here's some goggles so I can kick your butt on this

Kenny Bailey<br>: 17:24

one understand? I mean, how many months of training have you done for this? Right? And imagine you forgot your goggles, and then you're standing there. And so people know that right? And what's cool is I think you're gonna pay it forward, right? Because at some point, you're going to see somebody else that's new and going to be able to do that.

Tom Regal: 17:36

So if you start doing more of these with the tendency is to bring extra stuff with you. I always have like a pile of pins, because they get them in every race. Yeah, somebody needs pins to put their number on. Here's some pictures. I bring extra pairs of older goggles that I'm not using. And I'm just like, I can give them to somebody. Any of that stuff. Yeah, just go here. Just take it, you know, whatever. It's all good. Yeah, good.

Sarah Crane: 17:58

I actually ended up having an extra race belt. And my friend Daniel was there. And he didn't have his and so I ended up giving that to him. And I have been given multiple race belts by friends. Yeah. So I was like, Hey,

Tom Regal: 18:13

we end up with a dozen and we hand them out to everybody. And then we get nothing because we gave away our last one and then we're borrowing back from somebody else. It's yeah, make the circuit

Kenny Bailey<br>: 18:22

race filter weird. Like you were talking about PrEP like literally two to three days before I'll I know where my race built. I never went race belt unless I race. And I and I leave it in a drawer and I always take it out and put it in the obvious spot. Exactly. For that reason. You know, I thought about it on a Wednesday. I'm not racing until the weekend, but I better get out. Yeah. Because I'm gonna forget because I'm terrible that way. So

Sarah Crane: 18:42

alright, here's the question about race belt. Yes. So I ran with two different ones. The first one I did pins just on like a kind of a normal running belt that had a little pouch you know, for nutrition or that I sometimes run and put my phone in the second one I ran with one that had like the bungee cords and the number. I think I liked that better. The first one the pins with the number being wet. Yeah, my number came off partway through so during the run it was it back on. Yeah, um, I don't know don't have a preference. Do you have recommendation between those

Kenny Bailey<br>: 19:14

I kinda like the ones with a little Velcro things, you pinch it.

Tom Regal: 19:19

I just I have a really old one that somehow is still working that's just a plastic clip and basically put a number on it and you have to snap it in really hard and it just it just pinches it in there. But what you have to do is you have to stretch it out, put it on and then let it go back because if you put it that way and then you try to put it on it won't stretch because the number won't go so you have to remember to put it on first out and place the number on a problem but either way works the ones with the bungees that you just clip the thing on it's kind of Yeah, I got every is gonna be most comfortable.

Kenny Bailey<br>: 19:50

Yeah, yeah, I've got so I'm paranoid. I bring like a band aid and like, like, really small Neosporin everywhere. Go. I don't know why I just just in case, right. And usually we do larger races, right? At some point something's gonna get Raschi someplace. So I'm paranoid about that. And I have chapstick. And so I think it's Nathan is the one I have. It has a small pouch and I have a bandaid, a small Neosporin and then a chapstick. And then I put the the race thing goes over it. I don't know why I just I always do that. Because it's weird. It's like it's $1 for chapstick. I mean, if I'm going to, especially the longer it says if I'm doing a half Ironman or an Ironman, I'm in the middle of this thing. And I've, again chapstick can work for also for sores or anything else. So for me, it's like, I don't want my race to be defined by $1. Like if I just put $1 product on a baggie that soundbite and I can't feel it right, because it's on my belt. And like I do that just no matter what. Or like you said somebody, there was a guy at our race that his shoulder was, you know, he got in a wreck. And so being able to you know, if I had the Neosporin with me, I couldn't sit dude, here you go. And he got on there to get you know, yeah, but I just That's my paranoia. So I always have with me like your wisdom.

Tom Regal: 21:05

Some, some people carry a lucky charm that I carry chapstick, a newborn and abandoned.

Kenny Bailey<br>: 21:12

Yeah, so I have that on my bike too. So I do that every time. I don't know why I just, I do know why because I just don't want to be, you know, caught in the middle of that. So it's everybody's like, you'll find out as you do more of these because you will kind of settle into kind of what fits for you or what doesn't fit for you. And I for some reason, chapstick now is high on my list of things to have. So there you go. Alright, so the bike portion we haven't talked about. Yeah, you got out of the water. You're like I did it. Did you say? Yeah. Go Wow, I did it.

Tom Regal: 21:46

Run for the women's dry? Yeah, it was quite a distance to get to the transition. Beauty of them is that yeah, it was in like the next neighborhood run from the Aquatic Center. And that's the challenge of most of these races. Is that like how close can you put the transition area to the swim? Yeah, almost none of them have a short run. So you have to go a distance you're in bare feet. Yeah. Did you put some flip flops down there?

Sarah Crane: 22:12

So funny enough, I had put flip flops outside of the pool so they had an area where you could put shoes out kind of by your number and once I got out I was like I don't care I'm not running and flip flops and I just grabbed him and carried I should probably just do them left them but yeah, it was definitely a bit of a distance to get to the bikes and uphill Yeah. Not super uphill because I've heard about some the second race yeah not like the second race was good train which switchbacks up the hill was probably good training for that. But it was across like a main street which I think they had maybe swept so it wasn't too like well that's good you know rocky or whatever. But so we ran across the street into the park up the hill and then you get to transition which was really cool for people who know Nashville the bikes were set up right in front of the Parthenon and so that was kind of fun to run right as I'm going into transition Tom and his wife are there

Tom Regal: 23:13

I got myself placed right yeah

Sarah Crane: 23:15

that was perfect to run into and yeah then got in bike I in my head the thing that I kept telling myself as I was going to get my bike both times was put your helmet on put your helmet on, put your helmet on know that that is the rule before you can leave. Yeah, and of course I always ride with my helmet, but I think I was nervous that for some reason. I was like forget and that's

Tom Regal: 23:37

what happens. Yeah, or you put it on but you don't clip that that's a that's a no go as well. Yeah. It's a safety thing.

Sarah Crane: 23:46

So yeah, so got in there, put on my socks kind of wiped off my feet and like wiped off a little bit but not super well. I ended up later that day when I took off my son my shoes and my socks and grass everywhere. Oh, yeah, we had read through like across the road and through the grass and all of that. So that's what happened. Yeah, but just put them on real quick and then got my helmet on. I got I had some nutrition so I put that in the back pocket of my jersey now the first race. I had ordered three different triathlon kits. None of them work. Oh, and so yeah, so that was really fun. So the first race I ended up I went to a local bike shop and found some try shorts. That worked. Okay, and then I used a bike jersey. Yeah, perfect. That's perfect. It wasn't great for the swim like it kind of billowed out a little bit when I jumped in the pool. But besides that, it was great. Like it totally worked. It was fine. The second one then I talked to a lady in my triathlon club and she gave me some advice. I ended up ordering a great top for the second race but all that to say I came out like I had have that ready to go put on my helmet and then get to, you know, that was hard something that's new as well as like you take your bike down, then you have to go out of transition and get to the mount line before you can get on to the bike. Yeah. And thankfully, they have people there telling you, you know, this is where you get on and all of that. And because I'm a pretty fast swimmer, I was pretty quick out of the pool. Now the super sprint had gone before us. So there were a lot of people that had already gone out. But with the sprint people, I was pretty quick. On the front end of that, thankfully, I think Tommy had told me this and maybe both of you go past them outline. Yeah, so that it's not, I'm not doing these like flying mouse. Yeah, any of this fancy stuff I hear people do and I was like, No, I just think that

Tom Regal: 25:45

everybody just goes across the line and stops. Like you're on an escalator and everybody just slams into the bag. It's it's kind of like, by computer. Yeah, move over.

Sarah Crane: 25:54

Exactly. So got on that and started biking. to backup one thing that was a surprise right before I got in the pool at the first swim is my aunt and uncle were there. So I heard my voices. I'm like 10 people from jumping in Sarah crane and I look up and there was my sweet aunt Marie. Uncle Dan was just so shot all the nerves of the day. Then when I got out on the bike almost immediately, like I kind of got her on the first corner and there was one of my best friends. She was there with a sign cheering my friend Stephanie. And kind of all along the route with the bike in the run. I ended up having friends who had come out I didn't know besides my aunt and uncle, they were like, oh, we'll probably make it for the run. And then they got there. They made it for the whole thing. But yeah, so that was really fun. The bike thankfully, I had gone anyway talked about this last time I went and did the bike route. The weekend. Talia Yeah, and so we were both during the race we did it we were familiar with kind of, okay, here's where you're going to be going like up some hills. Here's where we can kind of come speedy down. Hopefully this gets cleaned up, or we don't have to ride through this like gravel section or, you know, different pieces. So that was really helpful. And this was an interesting and very different than the second route because this route went much more so through a neighborhood it was through the Sylvan Park kind of West national neighborhood. And so people just came out like in their front yard has been awesome. Yeah. And out walking their dogs and out with their kids. And so that was really fun. We rode through and for the sprint distance, you did two laps. And so we rode through and went kind of back towards the Parthenon and did a second lap. So that was good.

Kenny Bailey<br>: 27:39

There were How long did it take you a little bit to get settled on the bike, like the excitement off the run? And you're kind of like, how long did it take you to cuddling

Tom Regal: 27:46

like super crazy fast. Like, I've got this. I've got this time we got the second lap you're like, Oh,

Kenny Bailey<br>: 27:51

well, yeah. See it takes. It takes me about mile to before I sort of settle? Yeah, with the excitement of the transition and all that did it. Did it take a little bit time?

Sarah Crane: 28:00

Yeah, it probably took me maybe like a mile to settle in. And then I think I had gone really hard on the bike. So the second lap, especially because the the very end of it was up Charlotte, and it's up a hill. And it's just this continual incline almost the entire way. Yeah. And so by the second lap going up that hill, I was like,

Tom Regal: 28:18

Yeah, I'm ready to run yelling.

Sarah Crane: 28:21

Yeah. But the nice thing that was cool is I think because it was a smaller race, and it was all women is people are so encouraging to each other on the bike. So if somebody pass you, they're like you're doing great, or you pass somebody else or different things. And it was really inspiring to see there was a woman out racing who was blind.

Tom Regal: 28:37

That's yeah, that's right. I saw that. Yeah, sure. Yeah, there was.

Sarah Crane: 28:41

Yeah, so that was super cool. There was a woman racing who only had one leg like who Yeah, and so she and she was doing amazing. And there are people of all ages, all sizes, all everybody. And so that was really fun, I think on the bike, because you could take a little bit more of it in and had time to do that. That was really I enjoyed the bike. But it did take me a little bit, I would say to get settled in

Tom Regal: 29:07

the benefits of two loops is that you get to see more people and you get to see everyone that's raising if it's a single loop and you're closer to the front, you know your first one. I think you're not going to see all of that. Yeah, but once you're actually in the thick of it doing some laps, then you're like, oh, okay, then you can kind of take it all in and enjoy it that way. So yeah, it's

Kenny Bailey<br>: 29:26

just easier for the crowd to be able to see you and it's easier for the coordinators because they're having to coordinate office space, right. That's why they do so by Quint. Well, you kinda probably should have held off on that second hill, but that's on the second race that one was Hillier than I remembered.

Sarah Crane: 29:44

Yeah, that was Hillier than expected I had driven so the second race. Thankfully they blocked all the traffic off on Parkway, which was amazing. Yeah, but on a normal day, it's very traffic key place so I did not bike that before we did it. I just drove it and I was like, Oh, this is pretty good. It was more hilly than expected. Yeah. Um, I had one woman that I kind of was riding with for a little bit side by side are close to each other. And she said, she said, I think this entire route is just straight up.

Kenny Bailey<br>: 30:15

It's the first four miles is three pretty decent clients. Right? And I've completed I've done the race before I completely forgot about it. Yeah, we blocked those

Tom Regal: 30:24

out. Yeah, I were just on the way back. I just remember the flat and downhill.

Kenny Bailey<br>: 30:29

On the way back. It was like three miles downhill and flat, which was awesome. But the way out, and I did the same thing you did. I went out for the first lap a little hot. Then I got to the second one. Like why did I do that? You know, it's like you just kind of power through it right.

Sarah Crane: 30:42

Now I had a lot of excitement on my second race. Oh, like not for me. But right by me is that. So there? Were a couple as you know, because Kenny did the biking there were a couple like potholes and bumps and different things. Yeah, yeah. And they were marked pretty well. But there was one pretty big bump, right as you were getting kind of out of town and onto Ellington. And so like I had written over that, I hear someone behind me right over it. And I hear some kind of like things maybe shaking loose on this bike coming behind me. And the guy is coming very fast and passes me on the left. And I hear as he's passing me screws rattling, and I'm like, That's odd. Right? Yeah. As he passes me and gets in front of me, his water bottle comes flying off the bike. And he's probably like, within five feet of me. Oh my gosh, water bottle comes flying off. Next thing I know his entire seat and his water and screws the whole thing. I may have said some choice explicit word word out of the way. He pulled over to the side as he's realizing that's happening. I have no idea what happened and I hope he got it repaired. But I was like, Whoa, we are heard some

Tom Regal: 31:59

island

Kenny Bailey<br>: 32:01

things. And that's why, you know, I haven't gonna say that a bunch of times haven't been on a train or fantastic to get to get strength but if you don't know how to handle a bike for that exact reason. You had no idea like a bottle come flying out and then a seat like Yeah. Your next doesn't

Tom Regal: 32:18

happen that often. Once in a while but not that often. That's nothing you can prepare for this is

Kenny Bailey<br>: 32:23

funny you can be like really deadpan about to seat Twister. Yeah, cows. Bottle. Yeah, it's crazy. Yes, yeah. And that's why, you know, knowing how to handle it by knowing like, you know, that's the point where it matters because if you if you're if you don't, you know, you've got

Tom Regal: 32:42

some old saddles, I think the next transition training down the road, I'm just going to truck bottles and things. Truly, you could you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge

Kenny Bailey<br>: 32:56

the old guy on dodge ball, you'll be that guy. throw a wrench. I'm gonna do that. I'm

Tom Regal: 33:00

gonna make a note of a cat.

Sarah Crane: 33:03

Unexpected part of helpful for you. It was you know, so that bike jumped me a little longer to get Yeah, I was very awake, dodged everything I did. Everything did good. And that bike was different to in that there was so much kind of to get out of the transition area. And then kind of onto the main course there were a lot of sharp turns. And I was yeah, it was technical to get started. But then it was just straight, lots of hills on Ellington. And one I just did one lap since I was doing the sprint. So now because I had and we'll talk about something get to the run. But because I had gone so hard on the bike on the first track on the run was very difficult. So on this second one, I think I did not go as fast as I could on the bike. I scaled myself back a little bit because I knew the run is coming. Yeah, it's my hardest for me discipline. And it was so difficult last time. I don't want to feel like that on this. Yeah. So

Kenny Bailey<br>: 34:03

you get that only through

Tom Regal: 34:04

experience. Honestly. Exactly. You keep talking about it's all about the run. Everything you do is about the run. Yeah. How are you doing? How are you prep your swim your bike, and I think it's really hard for people to back off on especially if that's their specialty. I'm a cyclist or I'm a swimmer. You're gonna hammer this because you want a really good swim time or you want a good bike time I have no idea you're

Kenny Bailey<br>: 34:25

looking to me bike to glow up on the road Shut up

Tom Regal: 34:30

time and you know don't realize how much time you actually lose on the run because you slow down tremendously. Yeah.

Sarah Crane: 34:37

So on your first run it was before we get to the run one thing that was a surprise to me, which I just say if anyone else is doing a first one on the first race because I was doing a sprint and it was the longer distance. I passed a lot of people on the bike because there were super sprint people that were slower. I did get passed by faster bikers but I was also passing people on this one because I I was wracked so early. And I'm a fast swimmer. So I got out of the water fast. I was pretty fast to get going. But then I got passed by a lot of people on the bike. And that's a bit of a mental game that was more of a mental kind of toughness practice than the first one where I was passing a fair amount I was getting passing passed. Yeah.

Kenny Bailey<br>: 35:20

It's true. Because you slow should I be? Yeah, that kind of thing should

Sarah Crane: 35:24

be going harder. And then, you know, it's kind of the snow like, do your own race. Yeah. Stay

Kenny Bailey<br>: 35:30

vertically important. Absolutely. And it's so easy, because they've got a number a bit of on you, because you have a bunch of people that are out and we just seen people like I could be as fast as that person. Why aren't I doing that? Right, like, look and take that hill white? Why didn't I should be able to take the lift that right, yeah. So that is really, really probably the hardest thing to do is remember that your race? Yeah, critically? I mean, have anything to do? That's probably the one. That's right. It's your race. Not that race. Yeah. Anyway. Good job. So that was in your head. Yeah.

Sarah Crane: 35:57

That was kind of an interesting trip between the races a very different feel. Yeah. And an interesting challenge on the second. Cool. Yeah. So you get on the run. So you get on the run. And on the first run, you guys, I was like, I just want to stop. My legs felt like absolute leg. Yeah, they. They just felt like concrete. And I think partially, and I had done like some brick workouts. I told y'all last time that was one of my least favorites. Yes. But I had done some of those but not I wasn't going at race pace. Yeah. And then because I think I had gone so hard on the bike, especially on that first one, I just I was exhausted to start the run and dragging, just absolutely dragging. And so that was also kind of a mental game of No, just keep putting one foot in front of

Tom Regal: 36:52

a mental fatigue build up for the race, especially on the first one, right? So you don't realize how much energy you're burning because you're thinking about it. You're You're Fired up. You're there. Like even just walking around before the race starts. You're just amped Yeah, the whole time. So when you get to the run, you're just kind of like blowing up. What's going on?

Sarah Crane: 37:13

Yeah, so that was a bit of a surprise because I knew the run would be hard, but I was like, okay, yeah, I've done some bricks like yeah, it's gonna be on the tail end. But it was a lot harder than I expected it to be. And I'm already not a fast runner and then it was just like okay, you've just got to keep moving and so I did end up doing a bit of like a mix of walking and running like walking and running Yeah. One of my friends we like crossed at kind of a turn when I was doing that and she was like you betters are

Tom Regal: 37:50

coming for you.

Kenny Bailey<br>: 37:52

It's kind of that's kind of what you need where everyone's right you need some random person like you know, if you touch a sign you get magic I mean there's exactly actually help

Sarah Crane: 38:03

well and then there were so many people again, like I said, I had friends all along the route and so them cheering for me. And then there were great people I remember there was one volunteer with Team magic and I found her afterwards to thank her but because with this run you did two laps for the sprint and so when I was coming in and passing to like go to the second lap, she was at the split where you say like yeah, go this way to finish. And when I came in and she was like, Okay, you're going to their second lap she said next time I see you you're gonna be finished. You know, it's just kind of that motivation you need to Okay, I'm gonna keep going. There are people cheering who I've never seen them I don't know them but they know somebody else on the course and they're just out there cheering everybody

Kenny Bailey<br>: 38:46

does a two lap thing was that better for you? Or worse? Because I find it more difficult for me to do Yeah, right.

Sarah Crane: 38:53

I like having just one loop

Tom Regal: 38:57

come near the finish line you go back out

Sarah Crane: 39:01

then you know where there's like some hills Yeah, it's gonna be really quiet or where you know so I am not a fan of the two laps I get why you do that but

Kenny Bailey<br>: 39:13

if I turn left the pain goes away yeah, right the pain comes back I go home exactly make the pain go. And on the second one was much hotter, right? I mean, it was

Sarah Crane: 39:25

one was so much hotter. It was in a concrete jungle. Yes. Yes. You had said it was much more of an industrial concrete jungle. The first one. It was at a park. It was shady a lot of the lake it was cool. It was great. Yeah, the second one, it was just roasting. Yeah, then for that one is fun because at the very end of like, the your loop on the run is a hill. Yep. And so you've run like mostly flat a little bit of an incline and then all of a sudden going into kind of the turnaround point is a pretty significant Hill. Yeah. Unless just like they did on purpose Yes, exactly exam or

Kenny Bailey<br>: 40:03

to punish,

Sarah Crane: 40:03

I never run downhill all the way back. But you run downhill on the way back. And the thing that actually I liked about that one being because it's like an out and back on the same road, is you see people passing? Yeah. And so I would see friends, I would see other people in like National Triathlon Club and we're like cheering each other on, and getting to do that as we go. And that was really great to to get to see people.

Kenny Bailey<br>: 40:27

Yes. So it sounds like on both races. I mean, you've had the fortunate one to do him local. Right. And you've had a bunch of people show up. Yeah. And I think if you just, I think it's important, and what you're bringing up is also just the power of the ability of people just cheering you on the power of you know, there's a lot I know, I get tunnel vision sometimes just when I'm training and some of these races, but to be able to to do what you do is just be able to open up and go, yeah, it's not feeling good. But I got people here cheering it's just the picture minds. Yeah, it really is kind of neat that you were able to embrace that, even though, you know, you have a lot going on in your head, right? This is the first one, all that sort of thing. And the fact that you've had, I think that's a wonderful thing that you picked up was like, hey, the energy from other people can really help you. You allowed yourself to do that. That's fantastic. Yeah,

Sarah Crane: 41:11

thanks. Yeah. And the second one, the run was longer. But it was not I didn't feel like physically didn't feel as difficult because I had not gone as hard on the bike. And I was expecting my legs to feel so surprised.

Tom Regal: 41:29

Right? Took the surprise out of it. Now you know,

Sarah Crane: 41:31

what it feels like and what to expect and yeah, so I liked that. And yeah, it was I ended up the second one. I think I enjoyed a lot more just overall because I wasn't as nervous. I kind of knew a little bit more what to expect, and then could just take it in. Yeah, really enjoy. Cool.

Kenny Bailey<br>: 41:54

So you had this sort of thing in your head probably when you first started this year to be able to do this. And again, thank you for being on our podcast. I really appreciate you sharing all of this now that it's over. What What was it everything you were hoping for? Was it slightly? Did it meet expectations that exceeded you sound like you're a triathlete now. Can we officially call you that?

Sarah Crane: 42:14

Yes. I've gotten the bug to I'm officially traveling and that I've completed I would say it exceeded expectations. Yeah, that's

Tom Regal: 42:24

good to hear.

Sarah Crane: 42:25

I absolutely love and

Kenny Bailey<br>: 42:27

waiting for this right. I

Sarah Crane: 42:28

have been waiting for this. It's been a goal. It's fine. Oh, yeah. So that feels a little weird in that wait. Yeah, yeah, I did it. Yeah. You know, and I think in some ways in the back of my head there was a bit of because there have been such some disasters free my other races

Tom Regal: 42:48

are almost expecting it to happen. Like COVID Didn't

Sarah Crane: 42:51

happen I didn't get a crazy virus like I did. Nobody blew up their knee doing it with you know any of that my friend did break her arm but it was six weeks before the race she got it off she's still shout out to Brinkley crushed it. Yes. And so yeah, it kind of was shocking like okay, everything's well it's time to go and so yeah, but I feel really proud of myself that I did it. Absolutely. Yeah, I loved that and he

Kenny Bailey<br>: 43:21

posted his blues kind of going on are you just like because you're you're you were in a regimen gram and Yeah, are you keeping that up? Or are you allowed yourself to kind of relax and I give

Sarah Crane: 43:30

I've given myself a little bit of time to rest but I've also found so much fun in community and the training place and so I want to keep it up I think I know myself well enough to know I probably need to put another race on the calendar to help stay mode.

Kenny Bailey<br>: 43:45

One in August is there not?

Tom Regal: 43:47

There's one coming up in August there's River Bluff two rivers.

Sarah Crane: 43:53

Unfortunately, I will have no time to train in August because I have international students looking at either

Kenny Bailey<br>: 44:03

you just just have the students come on and run with you everybody

Sarah Crane: 44:10

so you Nashville next

Kenny Bailey<br>: 44:13

row. Yeah, yeah. So

Sarah Crane: 44:15

I'm figuring out like if I as hot as the SE gets do I want to do one in July or not. Or could I find one in kind of like September October to do so I'm also very curious about Aqua bikes since the run is not my favorite. Yeah, I'm curious to explore maybe having a I think I heard someone recently call it swim bike done. Yeah. I like that's good. So I was like, oh, maybe that's like more my

Kenny Bailey<br>: 44:43

well. Yeah, absolutely encourage you to do it. I know because like Tom and I were we were talking about we did a team event right. I haven't done a team event in over 10 years. 15 years and you know, we could both finish the triathlon but it was just a lot more fun.

Tom Regal: 44:57

Anyway, you got a team we get people Yes. swim and you can have somebody else do the bike and

Kenny Bailey<br>: 45:02

I was able to just a bike and I haven't done that. And it's just fun to mix it up once in a while. So yeah, try the Aqua bike. And if that's something you tried to Athlon where you just, well, you probably don't do that, but it's

Tom Regal: 45:12

probably not gonna make you want to you want to try that?

Kenny Bailey<br>: 45:14

I used to do that. And then yeah, all the cool kids are swimming and I'm like, I've gotta gotta learn how to swim. But they're harder than a triathlon, by the way, they're, they're not fun. Yeah, it's like you run hard bike, and then you revert again, it's not fun. But I think that's that encouragement to just, you know, show up to a, just a group ride and continue to do group rides, go do a go do an aqua bike and see if that's a cool thing to do, and, and allow yourself to kind of have fun on these things. I think that's, that's fantastic. So you didn't you're going to do some other ones coming up in the future. If you have somebody that's watching right now and has been following you that's been interested in wanting to do that what would be what words of wisdom or pearls of knowledge would you pass on to people that would like to try to do a triathlon?

Sarah Crane: 46:03

Yeah, I would say absolutely do it. I think it's been worth it both for the physical training, but also the mental challenge and training and work that that has been part of it. I would recommend trying a smaller triathlon, I really liked that I did the women's, which was only about 300 people and not the national that was 1000 people. It's my very first one. Yeah, but I know a lot of people did the national one is their first one. And that was great. I would say sign up for the distance that you feel comfortable with and that you feel like you have time to train for. So for me doing the training. While working and getting my masters and trying to have any other outside life. This sprint was the right choice because I could do it within the time I had and not feel like I was never not doing enough training. I felt like I did mostly the right amount. I probably could have done more.

Tom Regal: 46:57

Let's say it's not just a triathlon, or just a sprint. Right, let's clear that again. I keep saying this over and over again. Because everyone would come up and I'd asked what race are you doing? Just to sprint? I was like, no, no, you're doing the sprint. It's a legit, it's a legit distance. It is a legit triathlon. It doesn't matter that part of it. So you're doing the sprint or you're doing the Olympic or whatever. Doesn't matter in that point. So it's it's a legit distance. You're legit triathlete for doing a sprint distance. Yes.

Kenny Bailey<br>: 47:27

Now you can make coffee parties and go home, you know, oh, I'm a triathlete. Yeah.

Sarah Crane: 47:31

Fun fact. I'm not ready to get the

Kenny Bailey<br>: 47:34

multiple finisher get the stickers on the back, you know,

Sarah Crane: 47:37

I know. And the other thing I would say is, community is so key as both inviting your community into it, which was so fun to have people out cheering and to have family and friends kind of ask I did get people asking how's it going? What are you doing, you know, as it kept going, but also to find for me finding a local Triathlon Club has been really important Building Community Through that who are also racing, seeing them out on race day talking to them about what are you doing and when are you doing it and

Tom Regal: 48:07

balancing the life you know, thing is life training work all that same time as well. So it's nice to kind of commiserate on how you're getting your training done and you know, kind of find those things. Yeah,

Sarah Crane: 48:19

exactly. So those of you but I would say do it cool. Try it out.

Kenny Bailey<br>: 48:23

Well, sir, we very much appreciate you allowing us to follow you hopefully you had a good time on our triathletes journey.

Sarah Crane: 48:31

I've had such a good time and you guys have been so encouraging along the way well, it's just fun to watch

Kenny Bailey<br>: 48:35

I think your energy is is wonderful to be able to watch and watch you go through this whole thing and I think we you know we absolutely cheering for you but like you said you you've gone through you know disease and pestilence and plague in order to get here so yeah, we're just glad that you were able to you know, finally enjoy what you've been wanting to do. So yeah,

Tom Regal: 48:53

thank you so much for your really appreciate you coming on and talking to us. So And thanks, everybody for listening and watching on our YouTube channel. Please keep up the feedback. Five stars, thumbs up all of that good stuff gets us higher up on the ratings, gets through the algorithms more people can find us so we appreciate everybody. And thank you so much. And until next time, we'll catch you then.