70.3 World Championships: Giving my inner critic a swift kick in the booty!

Danny and I arrived in Vegas for the Ironman 70.3 WorldChampionships on Wednesday. And then it hit me: I would be toeing the line with the best Professional female triathletes in the world on Sunday.  Yay! To say I was a little excited was an understatement. I felt fit and ready to fight a honest battle.  This year has been one of mini breakthroughs and benchmarks and I felt motivated to race aggressively against some of the fiercest girls in the world in fabulous Vegas.

The training on Wednesday was a swim session and shake out run.  Since we were both tired from travel I decided to complete my swim workout in our hotel pool since it was quite large.  I did briefly forget that I was in crazy Vegas vacation land which meant I spent the majority of the swim dolphin diving and zig-zagging over/under/through the copious amounts of tipsy Vegas goers.  Just picture dozens of bikini/speedo wearing drunkards and ME with my swim cap, goggles and one piece.  I was happy to have made it out alive. 

Big Dork

After the scorcher of the shake out run (temps hit 105!) we spent some time wrestling the one arm bandits.  I chose the penny slot machines because that’s the kind of high roller I am.  And I would like to point out that at one beautiful moment in time I was 360 up. And I’m talking 3 dollars and 60 big cents. And then I lost it all.  But you know what they say in Vegas? Fold and forget.

On Thursday I completed my swim workout at the local YMCA. It was a beautiful facility with no drunkards. Perfect. I then hopped on the speedy Felt DA for a ride which was very short lived because I couldn't shift.  I dismounted thinking I would give it another check over since yours truly assembled the bike and that is always a fingers-crossed-hope-I-did-it-right ordeal.  Soon after getting off the bike I noticed the pulley system of the rear derailleur was in bad shape. 

First I cried. And then I got down to business. Luckily my great friend and bike mechanic, Myles Chase, would be flying into Vegas that day.  

Short story: we ended up over-nighting a rear derailleur. 

Long story: the derailleur did NOT arrive in 24 hours and fell subject to Murphy’s law.  And the long story also involves a grand UPS mix up, a lazy loading dock, an incompetent stripper, a large annual gay parade and the sketchiest back alley Vegas has to offer.  What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. All you need to know was I got my derailleur.  ;) 

My sister was also competing in the race and it was awesome to have her there. Our parents came down to cheer/Sherpa as well so the positive energy was flying high.  We filled the days with lots of relaxing, laughing, eating and of course wrestling some one arm bandits. 

Race day came quickly as always. I miraculously was able to sleep the night before which may or may not be due to the VERY strict caffeine taper I had completed. I started 2 weeks out and made an honest effort to wean my way down to 0 mg of caffeine for several days pre-race.  And if you know me and my coffee addiction this was a big win for me.

Race morning I woke with good energy at 3:30am, showered, massaged my muscles, ate my breakfast and had my first coffee in weeks. Ahh, the sweet nectar of the Gods!  I was totally ready to go and then someone gifted me the best race day present: As we drove to Henderson it started to sprinkle. And then it started to RAIN. It was raining in the desert. Sweet Jalissa!  I was psyched, smiling ear to ear. I LOVE racing in the rain and to go from expecting race day to be a dry 105 degree scorcher to getting rain and humidity made me giddy.

Danny and Myles had scored themselves VIP passes so they were in transition helping the sisters out. The rain was cooling me down, but even so, right before heading off to the swim start I shoved a mound of ice down my Zoot speedsuit. The water was 80 degrees and I had no intention of overheating 20 minutes into a 4+ hour day.  I said good luck to my sis, my awesome teammate Heather Jackson, my friend Magali and then I was diving into the brackish water that is Lake Las Vegas. They announced the pros, gun goes off and I’m feeling great! And then trouble strikes. I am on the front line but a distinct pack is forming to my right and my left. I want to jump on a lead pack but I have to literally make a split decision. I chose the pack to my right because the course eventually turns right but I got caught up on some slow feet and had to swim to the very edge of the big pack until I moved myself up to the top of the 12 girl pack. I spot Magali and Heather Wurtele so I know I’m swimming strong. Gotta love aquasphere goggles for allowing you to actually survey your environment.

The pace felt easy and relaxed.  Actually, a little too easy so I swam out to the side of the pack to test some open water and tried to make a move. That’s when someone swam over me and then another grabbed my feet and pulled me under. Never had that happen! I calmed my breathing and made the executive decision to expend as little energy as I could in the swim.

I exited the water and sprinted through the long transition. I mounted the Felt (with the disc!) and immediately had to discard the glasses. It was dark and pouring. I laughed out loud. It’s raining in Vegas!  

The first 5 miles of the bike I dealt with some bad luck and got stuck behind some girls who were sitting up going down the first descent. I lost some time navigating around them and it frustrated me as I knew my teammate Mandy Mclane was just up the road and I wanted to bridge the gap. Cat Morrison passed me around 20 miles in and I tried my hardest to keep her in sight. I stood up on the hills and tucked my head and pushed hard on the pedals.  I was trying to stay aero and do all the little things the head honcho Kurt taught me but at the same time my stomach started to revolt. After that point I had trouble keeping any liquid down and I spent the ride vomiting the GU I tried to take down. At one point I wanted to put my head in my aero bars and cry.  My worst enemy was giving me 100 reasons why I should throw the towel in.  I was way out in no-man land, feeling sick and not very powerful. I knew how important nutrition is on the bike and here I was unable to take anything down. Would I be able to even finish? And then it happened. I smartened up and clubbed my inner critic over the head.  

I began to think of all the POSITIVES. All the wonderful people I have in my life that had helped me get here: my husband, my coach, my training partner Ryan Kelly, Myles Chase/MC cycles, my mom and dad and so many others along the way.  If I wimped out, I would not be honoring them.  At that moment I quieted my mind and regrouped.

Of course it’s easy to have self-confidence when the race is going great.  But I am a strong believer that BIG breakthroughs rarely take place in that environment. The most worthy breakthroughs happen when you dig yourself out of very uncomfortable/tough situations.  During the race, I believed that even on a day of vomiting my nutrition, getting T-boned on the swim and getting caught in no-man’s land, a breakthrough was possible but not if I quit.  I was going to fight tooth and nail if I had to and get myself to the finish line.    

I finally dismounted the bike, slipped into the Zoot Kiawis and sprinted out of transition. The miracle of this day was I felt OK on the run.  Except for the 4 emergency bathroom stops - at least I wasn’t throwing up - I felt better than I thought considering I had zero nutrition in me. My cadence was up and I was chasing girls down. The course was an intense roller coaster and an absolute quad buster. My Mom, Dad, Danny, Myles, Jim Johnson and PJ (my wonderful homestay/friends from Oceanside), Jake, Kim and other Zooters were cheering like crazy and it was so helpful. I was smiling on the run and absolutely loving that I was finally getting in a groove!  

I crossed the line hurting, suffering and smiling. The moral of the story is there is ABSOLUTELY no harm in giving 100%. Ever. Even if 100% on that day does not live up to your expectations. After giving my inner critic a swift kick in the booty I was able to move past the challenge of the moment and strengthen myself as an athlete, physically and most importantly, mentally.  I stayed tough, stayed engaged, gave 100% and got what I was looking for: a world championship worthy mental and physical battle.

Next up: The dirty double of Miami 70.3 and Florida Ironman!

 

Timberman 70.3 Race Report

Last year at Timberman 70.3 I was dealing with a slow healing hip injury and opted to compete in just the swim-bike portion.  It was very hard to drop out after the bike in 2012 but I knew it was the right thing to do.  It definitely left me wanting revenge and to prove to myself that I was a stronger more durable athlete than I was one year ago.  I was extremely excited to return to my hometown course and really give it a go.  I was also prepared to take some chances this year as I was already qualified for Vegas and this race would be a good indicator of fitness.

Because of the excellent race organization, challenging course and large prize purse ($50,000) Timberman always attracts a strong field.  This year was no different and attracted the likes of Andy Potts, Terenzo Bezzone, Leon Griffin, Amanda Stevens and Melissa Hauschilt as well as many other strong pros which would make for some fast racing!

The day before the race I had my traditional gluttonous pancake breakfast with Danny and my sister Deidre. We then rolled ourselves to the pre race meeting and pro panel. I was honored to take part in the panel and it was great fun to joke around with the Melissa and Amanda. Two very humble and very fast girls.

I had a great "homestay" with my friends Audra and Alex. Alex made me the best dinner before the race and for that I owe him big time.  Thanks so much you two!

Race morning snuck up fast - (I dealt with my usual race night insomnia...Anyone out there have any ideas how to fix that?) - and before I knew it I was chugging some coffee and getting ready to DO WORK.

SWIM: 27:17

The video below is worth watching. Stroke for stroke this is how the swim went down. I somehow landed myself smack dab between super swimmers Mandy McLane and Miranda Tomenson.  And let me repeat: I was in the middle.  Lots of time for the little menace to strike again.  I would swim into Miranda, over-correct and swim into Mandy, say sorry under water, over correct and swim into Miranda.  Oops.

The menace

Except for the feeling of claustrophobia throughout the entire swim I was happy with how relaxed and strong I felt. I was also confident Mandy and Miranda would swim quick which meant minimal thinking and guess work on my part.  And as far as I'm concerned the less thinking I have to do, the better.

Bike:  2:29:01

HOLY MOLY!  My bike legs are slowly coming around. This was a big step in the right direction.  Lot's of credit goes out to this guy:

See that blood on his face?  He means business.

And lot's of credit goes out to these guys from MC CYCLES:

See that Aero helmet and moped?  He means business.

See that intensity he has during flip cup?  He means business.

And so I was determined to be all business on the bike.  I was frustrated with my performance in Germany. I know I am a better athlete then the one that showed up on that particular race day. However, I've come to realize that you can't always predict when you are going to have a not so great race. No matter how hard you train, sometimes you just have an off day. I had an off day in Frankfurt but I did NOT let it get me down. I know that one bad race doesn't define you and it really is all about the journey.  Onward!

I started the bike feeling a bit nauseous but kept the positive thoughts flowing. After 20 minutes I had my game face on and was rolling along on the speedy Felt going back and forth with Mandy and eventually Miranda.  I love a good hometown course because I know every bump and turn and hill. Keeping the speed rolling into and out of the turns is hugely beneficial in saving watts but keeping up speed.

I actually felt strong enough to charge on a flat section. This never happens to me. Flat sections are this little midget's nemesis.

Pulling away on the flat. What!?

I did feel a tinge of remorse charging on the flat because Mandy was fighting a great battle with me but I also knew she could run so I was actually excited to get a few minutes on her entering T2.

Head down charging.

And in case you were wondering, I am indeed aero in the above picture. As Kurt will point out: the pointy end of my helmet is much smaller than my head. So head tucked = good aero position. And head tucked is especially good if you have an exceptionally large melon.

RUN: 1:27:17

First things first, I would like to give a shout out to my lead biker. What an awesome volunteer. She absolutely made my day.  I needed her words of encouragement because I had so many bad thoughts popping up in my head. I would be cruising along and then think: On no! Look how fast the girls are running behind you.  I spent the entire run trying to think positive and stay focused. I was pushing as hard as I could and I could only hope it would be enough.  There were so many people out on the course giving me words of encouragement and Danny and Ry were giving me splits that were also encouraging as I was slowly catching Amanda Stevens.

I finally hit the last mile and breathed a sigh of relief. I was confident I had secured 3rd female and that was a great feeling on a hometown course.

Ow!

At this particular moment in time I thought it would be appropriate to clap for myself. Not sure what I was thinking.

Amanda, Amber, Melissa

Overall the race was a big step in the right direction and makes me even more excited for VEGAS BABY!  2 weeks!

DO WORK

I am happy to report I took the overall female win and broke the course record this past weekend at Top Notch Triathlon. This event is great fun and anyone looking for a challenge should mark the date on their calendar for next year. The event starts with the bike which is half road and half mountain style, transitions to a beautiful swim across Echo Lake and finishes with a quad busting run up Cannon (mountain goat style). 

Overall I felt very strong the entire day which was a pleasant surprise because this was a non taper event. The morning started with showers but as the seconds ticked down to start the sun starting poking through and it got warm!  As soon as the gun went off and I charged to the front hoping to pocket some time because there was a 100% chance I would be losing ground as soon as I entered the woods. I’m not only awful at mountain biking I’m actually quite the menace.  

And this is how the  mountain bike portion went down:  attempt to bunny hop a rock, fail, scream like a child, fall off the bike, curse, fumble to get back on,  pedal like hell to make up time, face plant, curse, mount the darn bike again, inadvertently get in someone’s way, apologize, pedal pedal pedal to try and catch said person,  hit a rock, nose dive over the handle bars, face plant, and curse.  If nothing else, my spastic riding gets the heart rate going which turned out to be a good thing. Historically, I have had great swims post spaz-attacks and this year was no different. I called out one last curse and hurled myself into the water like a crazy amazon lady.  I noticed my arm turnover was fast and my catch was strong. I exited the water in 15 overall and also was lucky enough to break the female swim course record.  Who would have thought riding like a goon could help your swim stroke?

The hill run was what I was looking forward to all day because this is where I am in my element. My secret dream is that all Ironman will someday end in a 26.2 mile UPHILL run. J  I smiled at the awesome crowd as they cheered me on and informed me I was first girl. I jumped into my ZOOT SHOES and charged up the hill. 

Right off the bat I felt strong. I passed a few guys and found myself in 10^th overall. My breathing was steady and my legs were ready to charge.  I was running with a great guy who I later learned was a talented Nordic ski racer and we kept encouraging each other through labored gasps the entire way.   The percent grade was relentless but I’m pleased that I kept the pace up and was able to run the entire grind except for about 30 seconds during the rocky scree section.  I crossed the line with the run course record, overall female course record, and and 6^th  human overall. The first person I congratulated at the finish was my great friend Ryan Kelly who took 2^nd overall and bested the guys course record!  

To date, my season has been full of pleasant surprises and I am surpassing many of my goals.  Because of this, numerous people have approached me and asked me what I have done differently in my training this year.  And my answer is: NOTHING. I have changed nothing and this is a great thing.   The secret is this: I have an outstanding coach who I believe in 100%.  I have been fortunate enough to be amazingly consistent in my training, I have a wonderfully supportive husband  and I have great, great training partners.  I can count on one hand how many workouts I have missed in the past 3 years.   I have put my head down and have been consistent day after day;  5 hour trainer rides, pool workouts that make the lungs scream, stupid long bike rides in the rain and early morning long runs with the stomach and the legs revolting.  I believe that if I am consistently strong and I push through the sub par workouts and the lactic acid  and bottle up all the positive energy I get from nailing workouts  I never thought I would get though, I believe that I will surpass even my wildest dreams...   

Up next: Timberman 70.3!!  

Vegas bound and Ich Lieben Germany!

I will rewind a bit to June and my 5^th 70.3 of the season: Mont Tremblant 70.3.  I went into the race a bit tired because the weeks leading up went down like this: 

Race three 70.3's to chase Vegas points

Jump into training for Ironman Frankfurt 

Race a 70.3 to chase Vegas points

Right back in the saddle training for Ironman Frankfurt

Race a 70.3 to chase Vegas points

DO WORK.

There was no doubt I had accrued a bit of fatigue in the legs but I also felt myself getting stronger and I really needed one last solid 70.3 to solidify my spot to the World Championships in September. 

Overall Mont Tremblant was great fun.  The race kicked off with a bag-piper, a cannon and what I thought were fireworks (but that last part could have been in my head.)  I fought hard in the swim and found myself in good position heading out onto the bike. The bike course was beautiful and green which took my mind off the lack of power my little quads were able to push.  I struggled the entire race and was proud that I was at least able to fight off all the mental demons that were thrown my way.  When Christine Fletcher caught and passed me on the bike she offered some words of encouragement: "Don't worry Amber you will get off the bike and run some people down today."  And this is one of the many examples why I feel so lucky to be racing pro along side these awesome women.  I feel honored to call so many of them my friends. We push each other to the limit on the race course but in the end I can honestly say I love to see them succeed as much as I love to succeed.    When all was said and done, I raced myself to 4^th on very tired legs but managed to get stronger as the race went on.  Even though I view 4^th as the cruelest finishing spot in endurance racing I have to admit I was content with the placing as I stayed mentally tough the entire day.  I was also stoked to see the powerhouse Linsey Corbin dominate the field after dealing with injury.  Come backs like that are truly inspiring.   

In the end, Mont tremblant is a spectacular venue.  They absolutely embraced the Ironman which is important as they will host a staggering 4 world class races next year: a 5150 in June, a 70.3 in June, Ironman in August and the WOLRD CHAMPIONSHIPS for 70.3 in September! I am absolutely stoked for the change in venue for 70.3 and think that it will be a fabulous place to host a world championship race.

Amber, Magali, Linsey, Annie

So with my spot to Vegas solidified I went into Germany with nothing to lose. I knew deep down I was a bit tired but I was very excited to race my first full Ironman of the season and test out the old diesel engine.

We arrived in Germany on Tuesday via a red eye. Germany is 6 hours ahead of us and even though Dan and I were exhausted we made the executive decision to stay up and explore the city.  Like 2 little zombies we walked around Frankfurt and soon stumbled upon the beer gardens. It was a beautiful night on the river and with the excitement of being in a new country, the good beer and the fun atmosphere we perked right back up.

The next few days were filled with castle hunting in Heidelberg and Darmstadt and then an ancient bathing experience at Baden Baden. This involved hot tubs, cold tubs, german scrub downs, steam rooms and herbal aroma steam vaults.  It was slightly nerve wracking in the beginning until you embrace the sans clothing community bathing experience.

6 pretzels, 3 helpings of sauerkraut, 3 castles, and one big 'ole scrub down later it was Friday morning and I was getting blood drawn for the doping control pre race.  Next up was the race meeting in which I quickly realized I was not in Kansas anymore. The Europeans just seem to bring more intensity to everything and everything about the race had a world championship feel.

Swim: 52:14

Oh yeah! I swam aggressively in the beginning got in a good group of german guys and rode the draft to the finish. The transition started with a uphill sand climb and like lickety split I was well into the bike course.

Bike: 5:18

The bike was double loop style complete with teeth chattering cobblestone, winding roads, switch backs, sweeping turns, hay bails (in case you misjudged a sweeping turn), steep downhills, and steep uphills with crazy German fans who understand bike racing. It was Tour de France style!  

The basic truth about riding on cobblestones is the uneven surface KILLS your speed and forward momentum.  On cobblestones there is no place to hide, if you don't pull up your big girl panties and pedal hard and aggressively you might as well dismount the bike and walk home.  This is the place to apply some brute power.  And this is why I came to race in Europe. Test myself on a very difficult course against tough as nails competition.  I can't say I am master of the cobblestones but I will be back!

The bike course proved to be relentless and to throw another monkey wrench in the mix every time I asked for gatorade on the bike I got VASSER!  (Water!) Maybe it was the language barrier or maybe the Europeans are too tough for that silly electrolyte mix.  I kept thinking to myself okay time to problem solve. I love problem solving. So with sans gatorade I was force to ingest more GU's to get some sodium in.  And just before I turned into a little pot belly pig stuffed with far too many GU's I was gladly handing my bike to a kind volunteer. 

RUN: 3:30:01

UGH! The run started promising as the first 14 miles I was right on 7:15 pace. I had the pleasure of running with the speedy Charisa Wernick for awhile and we seemed to be rolling right along. And then something happened. Maybe the lack of gatorade/calories caught up with me but my leg turnover came to a screeching halt.  The one thing that saved me from cry baby status was Danny, Genny, Brando and Kyle and Greg on the side lines cheering their crazy heads off.  The run course was 4 loops around the river which were very populated with fans (and bier gardens!).  As much as I was hurting I was also loving the energy and, truth be told, I really do always enjoy a good solid butt kicking.  And that is what Ironman Frankfurt gifted me.  The last 10K was an absolute death march.  Everything below the waist was seizing and everything above the waist was crumbling.  

 

But the finish line is eventual and before I knew it I was running down the red carpet so happy to be  here!

Lucky number 13th overall

I crossed the line, hugged a volunteer and then my world started to slowly close in on me and moments later I woke up horizontal with a IV.  Oops.

Many FIRSTS in Frankfurt:

1.) first time racing on European soil

2.) first time completing the entire 112 bike portion with only water!

3.) first time on cobblestones

4.) first time hitting the real ironman wall

5.) first time in the med tent 

In the end it was an absolute adventure and I would jump at the chance to go back. I raced as hard as I could, learned a lot and feel even more motivated to tackle the second half of the season. And just to clarify, the second half of my season kicks off with a midseason break.  And let me tell you I am mastering the sleeping in, legs up, dessert indulging days. 

Eaglemen 70.3 - That was unexpected!

I want to start this blog by sending out my thoughts and prayers to Meredith Kessler who was leading the 2013 Eagleman 70.3 until she crashed and suffered a concussion. I am a huge mbk fan and she is without a doubt one of the toughest, most talented and gracious female pros on the circuit. I wish her a speedy recovery and I know she will bounce back stronger than ever.

Eagleman 70.3 would be epic this year as my 2 sisters and cousin were competing and my Mom, Dad, Uncle, Brother-in-law and husband would all be on the sidelines cheering their crazy heads off.

I was extra nervous heading into this race because I was chasing some much needed Vegas points (in a crazy stacked pro field) and I also wanted my 2 sisters and cousin to have awesome races.  I flew into Maryland on Thursday afternoon and my bro-in-law scooped me up from the airport and as soon as the one and only Nugget (a.k.a Genny White) arrived home we headed out for an early dinner. It was the most relaxing pre-race arrival I have had this year and I think this helped me with that extra gear on race day.

We filled the pre race days with oyster eating (!), pancake eating and relaxing.

Race day arrived quickly and before I knew it I was running over to check on Genny in transition and make sure she was good to go. She had everything under control and seemed to be ready to race fast (which she did, by the way!).

I went through my normal pre race routine which included fiddling with my helmet - putting in on and taking it off like a gazillion times to make sure it fit OK and then going for a easy jog to get the blood pumping. The heat and humidity really got me sweating which was all good until I tried to squeeze myself into the Zoot Prophet.  Whoa! Now I know what a sausage feels like.  Fifteen painful minutes later which included swearing, breath holding and more swearing I managed to complete the simplest yet most tear-evoking task of the day.

I made it into the suit!

Swim - 28:29 (Not my best but the swim was confirmed as long and also was very choppy and HOT!)

I spotted Meredith and super swimmer Robin Sandos on the start line and positioned myself right next to them. The gun when off and immediately I felt strong and fluid. I found myself swimming stroke for stroke with Robin feeling like the pace was easy and relaxed. I made a move to try and bridge the gap to Tenille and after 5 minutes of this effort I went from feeling relaxed to absolutely boiling in my wetsuit. I quickly weighed my options and because I wanted to avoid lobster- in-the-pot status I let off the throttle and tucked in behind Robin. For the rest of the swim I shared her feet with Rinny and managed to bring the HR and body temp back down a bit.  

I sprinted through transition hot on Rinny, Sandos and Serpico's heels. I promised myself I would not lose them as I wanted a group to key off during the bike.  

Serpico, Carfrea and my backside (sorry!)

I had one of my best transitions, hopped on the Felt and was able to keep Rinny in sight. She charged out of the gate and I put my head down and was determined to close the gap. After 30 minutes of TT effort I finally was within 10 bike lengths of her, then 9, then 8 and then she did something unexpected and sat up for a quick second to get a drink. Because there was a referee by us the ENTIRE ride I was forced to pass the World Champion. Oh boy.  I immediately doubted myself. Was I riding too fast? Was I destined to implode?  But something funny happened after that pass.  I actually felt great. I looked down at my Garmin and my watts were right on target. I felt smooth and aero and fast. I thought of all the tips my coach taught me and that was to GO FAST on LESS WATTS, tuck your head, get aero and stay that way, keep the speed going into and out of the turns.  Rinny ended up passing me back and we would go back and forth with also Serpico in the mix until about mile 45 when I decided that I was feeling so good that today was the day that I would take a big chance on the bike. I put my head down and made a charge. I pretended that I was on a training ride and that I was chasing my great friend Ryan Kelly.  Ten minutes later I gave a rare look back and I was gaining ground. Holy moly! I actually made a move and it worked! Sweet Jalissa!  

I spent the rest of the ride thinking fast thoughts for my cousin and 2 sisters who were out there fighting their own personal battles.

Before I knew it I was cruising into transition (through the mud pit!) in seventh and heard Danny and my Dad yelling from the sidelines about the situation up ahead of me. Turns out Susan Serpico, Sarah Piampiano, and Tenille Hoogeland were all within striking distance. I caught Susan and we exchanged good jobs and then I charged on.  I fought to keep Sarah in sight which proved difficulty as she was cruising. My first 4 miles were 6:09, 6:15, 6:08, 6:10 and Sarah was pulling away from me!  I willed myself to stay strong and to not give up.  As we neared the 5th water stop I decided to try and open it up for just 3 minutes. The move worked and I got close enough to Sarah and heard her call out for ice. I opted to skip the aid station to try and open up a gap and again worked!  I was lucking out! :) Now I was on the hunt for 4th place.  I saw Tenille off in the distance and made a silent goal to try and pass her before the turn around.  Just under one mile later I found myself in 4th!  Angela, Laura and Jenna then passed me in the opposite direction (they were in 1st, 2nd and 3rd place) at the turnaround and they all looked super strong and were about 4.5 minutes ahead of me.  I knew there was a slim chance I would catch 3rd if she kept running like that so I was now in protection mode. DO NOT give up 4th place.  I hit the turn around and saw the hungry hounds behind me! AH! Move the little legs!  The tides had turned and now I  was running scared.

Arm swing, leg turnover, arm swim, leg turnover. The aid stations were great and fueled my fire!  I put my head down and did some work. At 10.5 miles  I saw Danny and my Dad. They were jumping up and down and yelling "45 seconds to 3rd!" Holy Moly!!!!  That got the adrenaline going.  I surged for 20 seconds and around the bend was Jenna. I decided right then and there to make a move because my legs did NOT have a sprint finish in them.

I moved into third at mile 11 and ran like mad to the finish.

 My Dad and Danny greeted me at the finish. I was so happy!  A hard effort on a hot day with some big Vegas points as a bonus :)

The energy after the race was high. I ate, changed clothes and then got back on my bike and cheered my cousin and 2 sisters to the finish. I was impressed how strong they all looked and really did ROCK it in a big way!

Eagleman 70.3 is a great race and I will definitely be back next year. May even make it a dirty double with Raleigh 70.3 the weekend before like my crazy friend Beth Shutt. :)

St. George 70.3 : Keep on Chipping Away

St. George 70.3 is absolutely gorgeous! (Just as a disclaimer the pictures I have do not even come close to doing it justice.)  A championship field on the most ferociously fierce course I have every raced: A perfect Championship venue!

We started the day in the 59 degree water of Sand Hollow State Park in Hurricane Utah.  I got a good warm up in ( I was secretly doing a little jig in my neoprene because I love cold water!)  The normal jostling at the line went down and when all was said and done I found myself perfectly positioned next to Kelly Williamson. The gun went off and I went to work keeping Williamson's feet in sight. Everything was falling into place until someone took a 90 degree angle and swam right over me. What!? Ha! I had to laugh to myself. Now this is more like the water brawl I remember. Ironman never disappoints.  I managed to recover from this and grab hold of the chase pack. It was a perfect position to be in but the work in the water today felt hard. Every stroke felt like effort. And I'm learning, that at times that's just how it goes.  Racing makes you tougher. Especially if you're constantly having to dig!

Swim Venue - Gorgeous!

I exited the water in 26:55. Not bad, but the effort it took to get me there felt too high. I tried to think positively and get myself out of transition to chase down some girls I had in sight.

I actually felt great during the start of the bike. I eventually caught the speedy Jess Smith and we rode back and forth for the majority of the course.  The bike course is absolutely perfect.  It's super hill and has enough twists and turns to keep things interesting. It's a fair course that you can actually gain major momentum on if you're having a strong day. At around mile 35 Lesley Patterson caught us and the Scottish rocket brought the riding up a level. She is such a beast on the hills and it was fun to chase her up through the winding Snow Canyon.  I stole the below pics right from google image. But this was the one race where I was wishing I had brought a camera ;)

I can't really explain what happened on the bike but I was lacking a little zip in my legs. I felt flat. My mind kept saying "push!" but my quads were not having it.  Overall my bike
was decent but I wish I could have been a bit more aggressive out there.  I have to admit, my bike has come a long way. All in all, with the beautiful scenery and wonderfully fierce competition - how could I complain?

And while I was out on my bike Dan had turned all Mountain Goat on me. I would hear my name and look up only to see Dan on the side of a cliff! What the?! How in the heck did he get there?

The way I felt towards the end of the bike I was thinking: this run is going to be an adventure for sure. However, as soon as I put on my  lime green Zoot Kiawes on I felt like I was flying! Maybe it was all in my head but those shoes make me feels light and fast!  And if you're wondering if the run course had hills the answer would be NO: It had MOUNTAINS. It was just silly.

Umm, yeah.

I was able to pull off some 6:20s on the flattish sections but those were few and far between.  This was hands down the hardest run course I have every done.  But once again, very pretty.  So we forgive you race director.  You're not that evil. ;)

To sum it up, I had to fight tooth and nail for just an OK result.  I was slightly disappointed when I crossed the line because I KNEW that if I had biked a few minutes faster and ran just a couple minutes faster I would have been nipping on the heals of top 10.  But that is what you get in a field which is absolutely chock full of World Champions and Olympians.  The positives: I closed very strong today and I need to LEARN to accept those races and those training days when the work doesn't come easy.  Learn from them, recover up and then move on.  And the St. George crowd support was AWESOME. It's days like these where I reminded most that what I do is not a pursuit of a selfish goal, but an exciting journey that allows me to motivate, inspire and encourage others.  

Homestay and Me and Svenla Bazlen (2nd Female Pro!)

Next up is Eagleman with my whole family!  I will have a solid month to put in a good training block. And I need it because as like to put it, when God was handing out biking skills I was over in the corner picking my nose. However, when he was handing out work ethic I was front of the line. So after I rest up from St. George it's back to the old training game because I'm just getting started!

Quabbin Reservoir Bike Race: Wits Not Watts.

For my birthday weekend I decided to race the Quabbin Reservoir 65 mile bike race.  The venue was absolutely beautiful and the race was so outrageously fun it got me wondering why I hadn't done this before.

Of course I tried to enter as a PRO with my PRO triathlon license but apparently you can't do that in cycling. So I was forced to race Cat 4.  This was all well and good except now that I was the newbie in the sport (and causing a raucous) it was imperative that I avoid newbie cycling embarrassment. So, I got down to business in the parking lot before the race start. I took out my new Felt F4 and gave it a good look over.  First things first; remove the reflectors.  After that was done I went after the cassette guard (until I realized you needed a knife to take that darn thing off.  A knife, or you needed to remove your entire cassette.)  Hmmm.  The male pro next to me looked handy and I asked if he could help. He hastily threw me some pliers and Dan was able to saw the cassette guard off...one plastic thread at a time.

Felt F4 sans reflectors and cassette guard! That's at least a 20 watt gain!  I was psyched and ready to go. The sun was warm as the race director gave us our last instructions.  The female PRO/Cat 3 went off 5 minutes prior to my Cat 4 wave, which was also the last wave of the day.  I felt relaxed but also had a secret goal of catching that pro wave...

Cycling has this really cool thing called a "Neutral Start."  Meaning, when the gun goes off your wave just casually soft pedals along until the real "start" of the race. So basically you just chat it up with your neighbor, position yourself, and enjoy life. As we all relaxed down the long descent I was thinking: HELLO IRONMAN...can we all agree to have a Neutral Ironman Start?  As much as I love the barbaric water brawl at the start of a 140 mile journey, my heart rate does not.

As the descent plateaued we rounded a corner and...BOOM! Like a cannon we are off. NO more nice girls I guess.  My mantra for the race was something my coach had texted me that morning: BIKE RACES ARE WON ON WITS, NOT WATTS.

I promised myself I would follow his advice and behave.  After all, this was my first bike race and I had no teammates to lean on.  I found myself in the middle of the pack repeating: Bike races are won on wits, not watts.  Bike races are won on wits, not watts. Bike races are won on wits, not watts.  And then after about the third repeat I realized that I was quite bored. I looked down at my Garmin: I was exactly 3 minutes into the race. That's it! I can't take it anymore! I wiggled my way up to the front and didn't look back. I justified this bonehead move by remembering at the last second that I don't necessarily have an excessive amount of watts but I do have even less wits.

So there I was. At the pointy front of my first bike race. Pulling the pack like a little donkey.

I actually played some games and tried really hard not to let people pass. Dumb move.

And then I tried standing on the flats to see if I could break away. Dumber move.

And then I tried sprinting every hill. What a dumb dumb I am!

However, around mile 42 (just when I was about to implode) I got a glance of someone I knew up ahead. It was Dan! That gave me enough energy to surge on and when I looked back again it was just me and three others girls. All 3 of use were able to really work together. It was so much fun to lead and then follow and zip around the corners and fly down the flat stretches with these girls. So many surges and red line efforts but at the same time really feeling like I was working as a team. Around mile 50 the race director drove up along side our little pack and informed us that we were within minutes of catching the Pro girls. That news got the juices flowing. Even more so than the 2 Cherry Lime GU's I had just inhaled. Now this was really turning into a race!  Our little group put our heads down and pushed!  In about 10 minutes we caught and passed and road away from the Pro group. From then on it was head down and no more fun and games. Get me to the finish line.

The race was totally meant for me as it ended with a 3 mile stretch uphill. There were numerous occasions where I tried to stand and sprint but my little ham-hocks had had enough. It ended with a sprint (kind of) to the finish and I ended up getting edged at the line.

Did I tell you that bike racing is awesome!? Well it's about to get more awesome.  When you finish, you walk/crawl to this RV/mobile home and some lady comes out and hands you cold hard cash. And then you go home. No waiting around for awards, no filling out W4 forms. Show up, bike hard, RV, $, home.

The day would have ended if I was a pure cyclist, but I'm not. So I changed into my running shoes and headed out for a nice little jog:

 And then it was off to go play some birthday mini golf which also served as a wonderful way to deal with getting nipped at the line... Happy Gilmore Style:

Next up: US PRO CHAMPIONSHIPS in St. George UTAH. May 4, 2013.