Man, I Love Race Day

One of the many things I love about triathlon is the fact that we get to compete in the same races as the pros.  In most sports you have to BE a pro to compete in with the pros.  Today I got to race with Andy Potts!!!  Ok, so I didn't exactly race WITH him, but we were competing in the same race.  He began his race about 20 minutes before I did, and he was probably finished the whole thing long before I got off the bike.  I did get to meet him briefly and get a picture with him after the race.  He won the Toyota series and was smiling from ear to ear.  You can't blame him.  He's now heading to Kona to compete in the Ford Ironman World Championship next week!  Go Cutie Pie!!

Besides getting to meet Andy Potts, the race was a success in my book.  This was my second Olympic distance.  My first was in July at Disco.  I was a nervous wreck for Disco, but this time I was much more at ease. There was still a little nervousness at the start of the race, but that's to be expected.  Much to my delight it was a wetsuit legal race. I made my way down to the start and found my friend, Erin, from NTM.  She's a smoking fast girl in my age group.  We were relieved to finally jump in the water because our feet were freezing.  The water was warmer than the outside air.  The horn blew and the swim started.  There was some contact, but it wasn't so bad...or maybe I was mentally prepared so it was less stressful.  I swam steady the whole time and didn't freak out at all!  Progress!  The lake was low and my arms hit bottom long before the swim ended.  I stood up and felt my feet sink in the soft bottom.  I got back down and tried to swim...if you'd call it that.  It was more like a crawl. When I finally exited the swim I saw the race clock and knew I had made it out in 30 minutes. I was able to cut 5 minutes off my last Olympic swim.  Victory!  As you can see I was actually smiling when I got out of the water.


Getting on the bike, I knew I still had had to find a way to shave 2 to 3 more minute off my last race time if I was going to finish the race in under 3 hours.  I had to run up hill to T1, and then I had to ride uphill on the first part of the bike.  I took it easy for the first few minutes so I could get my heart rate under control.  It never happened so I just went by how I felt.  The bike course was one of the more challenging courses I've done.  There were quite a few hills and a little bit of wind.  The roads were also a little rough on the first 1/3 or so of the course.  Around mile 8 I finally was able to pick up speed.  I took advantage of my ability to go fast to make up for the beginning of the ride. Just before mile 20 I ran out of water.  I was still hoping to choke down another 100 calories or so, but since I didn't have water I decided not to chance it.  Besides, my stomach really didn't feel like it could handle much at this point.  Shortly after running  out of water, Tommy, my coach flew by me. His wave started a good 30 minutes or so after mine, and I figured he would pass me at some point.  We exchanged a few words and I was able to tell him that I shaved 5 minutes off my swim.  I suppose it could have waited until after the race, but I was still pretty excited about it. After 24 miles I was relieved to finally roll into T2.  The hills were draining my legs and I still had hilly 10K run.  I didn't shave any time off my bike time from my last race, so I knew I had to have a good run.

The run, like the bike, began with those pesky hills.  I felt like I was going in slow motion, but when I finally looked down, I was running at a 9:20 or so pace.  This is considered slow for a lot of people, but it's pretty good for me.  My goal was to keep my run  pace under 10:00. Normally I race with my NTM kit, but today I was sporting the Triple Threat jersey.  The run is where I really got to cheer for my fellow NTM and Triple Threat friends.  When Jeneen and I finally crossed each other I was yelling her name and waving my arms around.  She looked strong and focused....or maybe that look was embarrassment.  Perhaps I'm not racing hard enough if I can mange to yell for other racers.  There were a few times when I wanted to walk and I had to tell myself NO.  I think I even said it out loud.  I hope the other races didn't think I was talking to them.  Finally, after 57 minutes of running, I crossed the finish line in under 3 hours...2:55 to be exact.  I couldn't believe I shaved almost 9 minutes off my run.

I was pleased with how the race turned out.  I finished 12 minutes faster than last time, and this was a harder course.  Following my training plan is definitely paying off.  Today is just what I needed as I begin my final three weeks of preparation for Austin.  It had been over 2 months since my last race.  Someone Tweeted today that race day is like Christmas...if you've been good. I didn't take home prize money or a trophy.  Instead, I took a sense of pride in accomplishing my goal and having a good time.  I've been saying that I'm here to complete, not to compete.  I'm probably never going to be the girl who's smoking my age group, and that's perfectly fine.  Each day that I cans swim, bike, and run is a gift.  Each race that I can finish, and finish strong, is winning in my book.  Have I mentioned how much I love this sport?

I want to send a big shout out to all my NTM and Triple Threat peeps.  Many of you were out there kicking butt, and many of you were supporting and offering words of encouragement.  There is no way I would do this without all of you.  A very special thank you goes out to Coach Tommy.  I wouldn't be where I am today with this man.

Dreams are renewable. No matter what our age or condition, there are still untapped possibilities within us and new beauty waiting to be born. - Dr. Dale Turner