I went down to sports med to talk with Joe, the athletic trainer who observed my surgery.  He told me some new news I wasn’t expecting.  They had originally went in to fix my broken left clavicle, one bone.  My collarbone was actually broken in 5 places! I had to have one plate with 6 screws and 1 screw holding a lateral separation in the clavicle, 7 scrws total.  Fun stuff!  It was a really good decision to have the surgery after all:).

From STL article:     http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/jog-blog/jog-blog/2009/05/st-louis-olympian-sarah-haskins-opens-triathlon-season-this-weekend/

Home Blog Zone Jog Blog Jog Blog St. Louis Olympian Sarah Haskins opens triathlon season this weekend

05.29.2009 11:25 am

St. Louis Olympian Sarah Haskins opens triathlon season this weekend

By Kathleen Nelson

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Share this

Digg Yahoo! Del.icio.us Facebook Reddit Drudge Google Fark Stumble It!

St. Louis Olympian Sarah Haskins starts her 2009 season this weekend in Madrid. Post-Dispatch file photo.

St. Louis’ triathlon guru, John Lynch, sends word that Olympian and Parkway South grad Sarah Haskins debuts this weekend in the World Cup event in Madrid.

Sarah’s getting a relatively late start on the season because of surgery to repair nerve damage in her lower leg. The race will be broadcast live, though you’ll have to pay about $7.50 and get up about 4:30 a.m. St. Louis time to see it.

Another St. Louis pro,  Jillian Petersen, will be sidelined for a bit after falling from her bike and breaking a collarbone. She was 37th on the World Cup circuit, the top pro level of the sport, and the second-ranked American before the accident, which occurred when she was defending her Pan American title.

The next day, 27th of May, I had an appointment with the Orthopedic, Dr. Walden, who would take a look at the x-rays himself and decide if surgery was best.  Surgery ended up being the best rough if I wanted it to heal correctly and faster. The surgery was scheduled for 4:00pm on the 28th of May.  Dr. Walden would be performing the surgery and I am forever greatful that he was able to get me in that soon after looking at my x-rays!

I was a little nervous cause I wasn’t used to going into surgery alone.  All the surgery’s I had before I would have my mom and dad there to take my to the hospital and its was always fun to make my brother feel guilty and they would do anything I asked after the surgery , but I was going to have to do it alone this time.

Luckily we have a wonderful “mother” for all the OTC athletes, Sherry was more than happy to take me to the hospital and wait with me until I was comfortable enough to wait alone.  Before I was taken in Dr. Walden came to check on me and let me know that one of the OTC athletic trainers was going to observe the surgery.  Its always great right before they put you under, you feel awesome and very truthful.  I just couldn’t stop talking either because of the drugs or the fact I was still little nervous.

A blink of an eye later I was very groggy of very out of it, I called my mom first I don’t know what I said but it wasn’t much cause the nurse saw I was struggling to explain and then she just decided it was best if she took the phone away from and explain it to my mom instead.  I called my dad next and I am pretty sure I was sounding better, but I know he say otherwise.  My boyfriend Matt was there with flowers to pick me up and take me back to the OTC.  Three of my pentathletes friends Margo, Denis, and Will where there as well earlier, but I was in surgery a little longer than expected and they waited for a long time before heading back to the OTC.

I ate so much for dinner when I got back, I had been fasting all day. No food after 6:00AM, I got up at 5:30am to eat a few bowls of cereal.  I felt great too, I couldn’t feel my arm or left hand it was weird I kept telling my thumb to move but it was my index finger that was going crazy.  I hope that doesn’t mean something is wrong with my head;).

You may say that I guess I have never crashed in a race before, but if you know my history I crashed in my 3rd ever triathon (2006) and still finished.  As well as a non-triathlon event, my college track teammates remenber that one.  My picture ended up on the cover of the DesMoines Register, after my fall in the 3000m steeple-chase at Drake Relays (2002),  It was a great picture but slightly humiliating.

I started out the weekend graced with being 1st ranked American for PATCO.  This is the first time I have ever been ranked number 1 in a competition of this caliber.  I was very nervous, mostly cause I had to choose my spot on the line first, I have yet to have this opportunity.

When I got out on the pontoon I immediately went to an end locations as instructed by my peers :)  I was luckily enough to have a top swimmer, Jen Spieldenner, come and stand next to me for the start.  As the horn blew I wanted to stay on Jen’s shoulder as long as I could and  get caught in her draft.  (As most of you may know I am not the strongest swimmer in the field and I have been trying since February, when Mike Done started coaching the group at the OTC in Colorado Springs.  I have been making improvements, but I knew it was going to take some time.)  I felt good in the water, but I wasn’t expecting what happened, I was able to stay next to Jen and by the first buoy I moved to her feet and it felt effortless compared to how I used to feel.  I was very excited knowing I was swimming with Jen who was going to come out in front.  I came out of the water just behind Jen and right with Amanda Stevens (another a top swimmer).  I was pumped, I had a GREAT swim! It wasn’t a McLarty great swim:) but it was for me.

I got on the bike with a good size pack,  McLarty and Perisol where off front by 60sec (that was to be expected).  Our pack only got 5 sec. closer after the first lap (4 lap bike), but then we were joined by two power-houses on the bike Susan Williams (2004 Olympic Bronze Medalist) and MaryBeth Ellis.  We caught the two girls by the end of the 2nd lap.  Everything was going great! Before we turned around Perisol had an unfortunate accident and was unable to finish the race (luckily she was not seriously injured) at that point MaryBeth made a break on the pack and forced me to chase her down. I wasn’t sure if anyone came with me, then I saw McLarty and Shoemaker, with the pack of four we broke away from the rest of the field to start the 4th and final lap.

Our pack was coming around the Capital when MaryBeth caught a groove in the road and almost fell.  We both had a nervous laugh and I made a comment  ‘make sure to stay out of that’.  Sixty seconds later; Shoemaker in the front then McLarty, Ellis and Me, MaryBeth accidentally went in the groove again and quickly screamed, tried to corrected herself and swerved a hard-right….directly into my front wheel. I few over my handle-bars and landed on my left shoulder and head, then skidded to a dead stop.  I couldn’t help but scream, not in pain but it shock, I was laying there on my left side head cocked slightly toward my shoulder as a result of the sliding, my knees almost to my chest like in a fetal positions with my arms out in front.  I thought I could get up but my body wouldn’t let me, I picked up my right arm and it was shaking like crazy.  I started to assess my injuries and knew I had the obvious road rash and quickly ran my fingers over my left collar bone, it was a sharp-dull point not smooth like the rest.

Cyclist’s most common injuries a broken collar bone.  As Mark Fretta put it “Welcome to the Club”.  I can’t say I really wanted to join, but I guess its bound to happen sooner or later.  I had a great start to the season and was pretty confident that this race could have gone in my favor with a fast run.  Later I found out that it was a clean break, no surgery and I could  bike inside now, run again in two weeks, and swimming is to come later.  This changes my mid season plans, but I guess I am taking a forced vacation early this year.

I really want to thank all the people who have been incredibly supportive and that have taken the time help make it easier.  Especially Sarah McLarty, she helped clean my wounds and take my bike apart.  Thank you Katie Baker for getting me form the Hospital, it was lonely there until you showed up, and for my pain pills they are working great:).  Thank you to my boyfriend Matt Chrabot for taking care of me the night after the race.

I’ll be back before the season is over!

I got up on Saturday at 9:30AM and headed to the race course.  I was able to ride the bike course with Jasmine, she raced Miami last year and was familiar with the course, it wasn’t to difficult to follow.  I got in the water after the bike, that felt nice it was a little warmer than I was used to riding in.  Later I was able to go for a short run in the course, it was great mostly shaded and paved.  Compared to the wood-chips that I heard they ran on the previous year.

I went out to a great dinner with my Home-stay Mary and her daughter Adrian.  Later I found out that it was Mary’s birthday, Happy Birthday Mary (don’t  worry I won say how old…..but it wouldn’t matter cause you don’t look it!) I was very honored to sped that special day with her and her family.

I tired really hard to go to bed early but I failed, I ended up in bed by mid-night.  Since it was an early race, 7:00AM, I got up at 4:30AM.  If you can do the math that meant  I was really waking up at 2:30AM and going on 4 hours of sleep, "I am psyched" (Wedding Crashers quote).  It was so early the race organizers had to put glow sticks on the buoy’s and the last main turn buoy they put a boat with a light near by so we come see.

SWIM:     It ended up being a small women’s, only eight women started.  Its same to safe that the starting line was not crowded.  I was hard to see on the swim and since it was a small field, it doesn’t help me on the swim.  Sara McLarty was off the front by almost a min, Jasmine Oeinck was soon to follow with Joanna Zeiger and Christine Jeffrey.  I was a little over a min behind Jasmine coming out of the water.  It was not a good swim.

BIKE:      It was a two loop course relativity flat, with a head in one direction.  I could see the girls in front of me, barley, and I wanted to keep them in my sights and possibly gain some time back.  I caught up to Christine over half way on the 1st bike loop and could see Joanna as the next women in front of me.  After the first lap the age-group athletes were merging with us and it was difficult to see who  was who in front of me any more and it was more trying to move around the age-group athletes for the last lap.  I never caught Joanna on the bike but I did gain some time.

RUN:     The run was also two loops, out and back.  When I came off the bike I was getting time checks on the women in front.  Joanna was 15-20sec ahead and the leaders, Jaz and McLarty were 1min 20sec (later I found out the leaders were really 1min 45sec).  I was not sure how I was going to feel on the run, but I felt pretty good.  I kept my eyes on Joanna and slowly caught her by the first mile and could kind of see McLarty ahead.  I fixated on her for the next few miles  and eventually caught her about half way.  I was happy were I was, and at the time I couldn’t see Jaz cause of the age-groupers know on the course.  Went I finally did see her ahead at mile 4, I thought it was possible to catch her.  I passed Jaz with less than a half mile to go and I wanted to stay with her for a while but I knew she could sprint, so I left her with a surge, I hoped she wouldn’t counter attack.   

RESULTS:     http://results.active.com/pages/displayNonGru.jsp?pubID=3&rsID=75769

That was my fastest 10K off the bike (it was also my fastest 10K period).  36:25 that comes outs to be a 5:52 mile average.  It was a fast turn around I had to fly out that afternoon.  Luckily Zensah was there and gave my a pair of the calf/skin compression sleeve, witch I immediately put on after the race, the compression felt great.

My Home-stay Mary and her two daughter Adrian and Vanessa  was great.  They were so excited it was like having my family there.  It was great to share the experience with them.  Later after my bike was taken apart and I took a shower we all went out to eat at this great Cuban restaurant before I had to catch my flight.  It was a great birthday weekend trip!

It was a quick trip back, at least I got to sit next to another athlete that raced as well.  Andy Potts, his wife Lisa, and there very adorable son Boston.  It made the trip go by fast.

Inside Triathlon Article:    http://triathlon.competitor.com/events/reed-repeats-at-miami-international.html   http://www.usatriathlon.org/news/article/10550  http://www.xtri.com/features_display.aspx?riIDReport=5446&CAT=3&xref=xx

Video:    http://www.funfsports.com/videos/triathlon/miami-intenational-triathlon/miami-international-triathlon-race-2009-11vdca875a7.mstp

I had to get up at 5:30AM, the first early morning race I had done it a long time.  The race started at 8:00AM, and it took about 30min to drive to the course.  It was in a beautiful setting, worth the drive! The air temperature wasn’t warm, in the 50’s and to top off the fact that it was cold it was also raining. SWEET!

Swim:

We started the swim with the pro-men for a 2 loop swim. It was hard for me to decipher which were men and women, after about a minute I realized I was swimming behind a few guys and eventually moved up to the two women that I wanted to keep in sight for the reminder of the race. On the 2^nd loop of the swim we ran into some age-groupers that had started in waves behind the pro’s, this was fun. We were weaving in and out of them, this ended up working to my advantage cause this is were I took the lead.  Both the girls went wide around the turn buoy (to avoid the age-groupers) and I took the inside.

Bike:

The bike was moderately hilly (at least there were flat sections) but it was also very slick, it was not supper technical except for a few turns. I was in the front of the women to start, and I got a motorcycle escort, SWEET! This actually worked great, I knew that the two girls were strong rides but I wasn’t sure how I would do. So the whole time the motorcycle was acting like a carrot in front of a rabbit.  I kept trying to catch the motorcycle!! (This was a non-drafting race, we were not allowed to ride together….this race you are supposed to solo;). I road really well, and I even caught a pro-guy on the bike (he was all decked out with a nice time-trial bike, helmet, disc wheel, the works….) and I was on my road bike and I am a girl!  I was supper pumped about that!

Run:

I came off the bike with almost a 2 min lead.  It was a 2 loop run course and I had yet to preview the course.  The first lap ended up being the preview.  I was told there was a pretty good size hill towards the end of the loop, but when I was running up on the hill the first words that crossed my mind was "You have got to be kidding me!" It was huge and on the 2nd lap a lot of age-groupers were walking the hill, I didn’t blame them, I wanted to walk up it as well.  But I wanted to keep my lead so I kept trucking up the hill, and in the end I kept the lead!  

I got more points for the overall series. It’s the best of 3 three races, Pacific Grove was one of them; the last one is on November 8^th. And I have a shot at the series title. Exciting!

                                                                 Portland, Oregon 20th September 2008

USAT Nationals was on 20^th September 2008 in Portland, Oregon. The setting of the race was gorgeous, beautiful, spectacular, magnificent, extravagant, and “GLOURIOUS!”

The swim was a one loop course in Henry Hagg Lake; it was decent swim, nothing spectacular. I came out of the water in 10^th and there was one girl directly in front of me, Becky Witinok-Huber. Becky and I worked together the first lap and caught one of the girls that was in front of us and on the back half of the bike, after the long hill before the turn around back to the start I had dropped her.

                                                                                      ALL HILLS!!!!

It was kinda hilly, and by kinda I mean there was NO flat section….you were either going UP or DOWN. Needless to say I ended  SOLOing the bike. This is NOT a good thing on a hilly course, it sucked actually. I was in 8^th place on the bike and when I got to the run there was nobody in sight, I wasn’t going to catch anybody and nobody was going to catch me (at least that is what was going through my mind).

Luckily I was think right, I didn’t catch anybody and nobody caught me.  I got 8^th, I would have liked to have done better but in the end this was where I was predicted to finish.   Not too bad considering the top 5 girls consisted of 3 Olympians (Sarah Haskins, Laura Bennett, and Julie Ertel) and the next 2 alternates to the Olympic team (Sarah Groff and Becky Lavelle). 

Last year I was 14th, which means that this year was a huge improvement.!

Ooooh, how I love swimming in kelp! Acutely, I really do because it favors the not-so-fast swimmers by slowing down the really fast ones. Sweet!

This Triathlon is part of the Tri California Series and is one of three races that will be added together at the last triathlon.  Scott Tinley’s is the next on October 4th and then Treasure Island will be the last one on November 10th.  www.tricalifornia.com

SWIM:

The swim was not so bad given the LARGE field competing (we decided amongst ourselves to not drown each other in the kelp….nice girls). There were 2 loops, and since we were last to go in this race in proved to be beneficial. All of the age-group racers (2,000 amateurs to be exact) went before us and I think they cleared up/tour-up most of the kelp. Because the day before it was much harder to swim and when it came time for us to race it was much easier than was to be expected. Sweet…again!

I led the first lap and this made is easier to maneuver around the kelp, but on the 2^nd lap Annie Werner lead and I trailed on her feet. I wasn’t too worried. Although it was harder to swim on her feet because she kept bringing me through kept patches I hadn’t seen on the 1^st lap (it probably was her secret plan).

T1: I came out of the water and into T1 in second place, and when I left transition I was in first. Compared to last year I came into transition in 2^nd and left in 7th, I couldn’t get the stupid wet suit off…..noticing the tread in these last two races compared to last year!

BIKE:

We had 4 laps on an out and back, going out we went into a head-wind, coming back in with a tail-wind. Out of the 6 girls that started the race there were only 4 in our bike pack (Annie-6^th last year, Alexis-2^nd last year, and Becky). This is a good amount of girls. Despite the small field, we worked pretty hard. We would each take about 30sec+ pulls on the bike and then the person in the front would go to the back and draft until it was there turn to pull again. It worked quite nicely! Alexis thru in a few attacks for fun but she didn’t get away, we all came off the bike together.

T2: Not the greatest! The guys and girls were racked on the same rack and I had to move one of the guys bikes (Steve Sexton’s) out of the way. I was a little frustrated and came out of T2 in fourth; I lost only a few second…5ish.

RUN:

It was a 3 lap run, pretty much an out and back, except there was a tail wind going out and a massive head wind going back to the finish. I caught back up to the lead girl after about the first half mile and felt pretty good so kept right on going. Then I hit the turn-around and BAM! Massive-head-wind! I felt like I hit a brick wall…… Sweet…not so much! I got a little nervous at this point and was hoping I could hold on to the lead. Alexis started to come back on me after the second lap, but I knew everyone was going to be hurting going into the head-wind. Oh and did I mention there were 3 hills also into the head wind….even better. After the last turn-around going into the wind I saw that Alexis had not made up any time and knew she could not make up that much of a gap in the last mile.

I crossed the finish line in 1st! The second time this year! And made some travel  money…SWEET!

An article form the race: http://www.tricalifornia.com/index.cfm/press_release_19.htm

One of my best friends, Ashley Patten-James, got married on September 7th, 2008 and I had the privilege of being in her wedding!

Ashley had checked with me the previous year to make sure I didn’t have any triathlon completion the weekend she was planning her wedding, because she wanted to make sure her wedding didn’t interfere with my race schedule.  "That’s why I love her:)!" 

I would have skipped a race for her wedding anyway! But luckily I didn’t have to skip one.

I met Ashley in college on the cross country and track team at Mizzou, she was an 800m runner (2min 03sec), she kicked my butt in speed workouts that’s for sure:)!  She got marred to am former track athlete at Mizzou, Josiah James at he Winery outside of Columbia, Missouri were we all went to college.  

It was a beautiful wedding and I am very happy for Josiah and Ashley to stared there life together! Congratulation!

This is the first race this year that I am repeating form last year.  My goal for this race was to improve from last years results and of course improve my bike !

Race Day 24^th August:

Women’s pro-wave started at 11:04AM, with 18 women on the start line, small field but good. This was nice since we got to sleep in before the race for a change.

It ended up being a wet suit swim (barely). The water temperature the day before was 76 degrees, the morning of the race was 70 degrees and right before we jumped in it was 71.5 degrees. Talk about cutting it close, 72 degrees is when the pros are not allowed to wear wet suits.

• SWIM:

It was a one loop swim that was along side the edge, so it was very spectator friendly! Allow there was a few times I thought I was going to get creamed into the cement wall that we swam next too, because of the stupid boat that decided to make some waves……very dangerous!

Needless to say the swim was uneventful; this is good last year I kept getting punched in the head the whole swim. This year I swan next to one girl the entire swim and didn’t get punch………perfection! I did get quite warm during the swim and wished I didn’t have my wet suit on. I came out of the water with my non-punching friend in 10^th/11^th.

• T1: Last year my T1 was the slowest; I couldn’t get my stupid wet suit off. This year I had the FASTEST T1 (I improved by 21 sec.!!!!!)
• BIKE:

The bike was 2 loops, rolling hills and a head wind going out. I started off the bike in 10^th place and saw a few girls in front me that I wanted to catch. I caught both by the time I was headed back in to finish the 1^st loop, I was in 8^th. My dad was at the turn-around telling me that 7^th was 1 min. in front, I wanted to catch her. At this point in the race I eat my gel, and then throw it away as in every race I have done this year…….at the exact moment when I threw the gel away a motorcycle comes up to me and tells me to “STOP!!” I got slapped with a PENALTY for throwing trash, NOT cheating and DRAFTING but throwing TRASH!!!! For a penalty you have to come to a full complete stop and unclip both shoes and when both shoes are on the ground the clock starts ticking for 60 sec. SIXTY SEC IS A LONG TIME IN A RACE! And to make sure everyone knows you got a penalty they put slashes through all your numbers. Example: 62

I was a little upset (mainly because I knew better and should have remember they give penalties in non-drafting races), but mainly because with all the momentum lost I believe it is more equivalent to 2 minutes (…at least 90sec). As I got started up again, obviously I was passed back by the two girls I had already caught, I was back in 10^th position. “I just wanted the extra challenge!” And “I can still get 7^th”, were the only thoughts in my head for the rest of the bike. I rode myself back into 8^th well before I got off the bike.

• RUN:

The run was an out and back. I couldn’t see 7^th place, I was hoping she was still in range. I felt pretty good, not great, but better than I thought. I realized 7^th was pretty close after we went around the turn around and slowly reeled her around mile 4. I was excited I was able to still run myself into seventh. But after I went around the turn around I saw the girl in 9^th and knew she could run. She passed me with 800 meters to go. I tried to hand on but it was going to be everything I had, and I didn’t have a kick.

I still got 8^th with the penalty and ended up riding 20sec. faster then last year WITH the penalty!! That’s good right!

Things to remember…….DONT THROW TRASH!