August rolls around fast, and it is my last chance to qualify for IMLL Worlds 70.3. I was a wreck the whole month, not only was our wedding coming up, but I wanted to race in Las Vegas so bad!
So we gather our gear together, and the weekend before the wedding, head up to good ol' washington for a quick reminder of why we moved to SoCal.
It was freezing!!! Like 59*! All I could think about this is.....AGAIN???!!! NO WAY!! Vineman was freeing and wet....Darn! I still had much much higher hopes for the race, as I had been running better...but it had only been several short fast weeks since Vineman. Big Dreams, and big-big goals always keep me going!
Since I had raced and trained on this very same course last year, I knew where I needed to play it safe and where I could get away with powering through. I had a phenominal pep talk, with a new amazing mentor, that led me to actually believe that pacing properly and smart was the big key factor I had been missing. So, practicing my pacing, and working with the little running base I acquired would be my wildcard for the day!
Race day up at 3:30 am, zoomed up to Lake Stevens. Water was 69* and flat. This is so great. Set up my transition, and zoomed over to wait for my wave to go off.
Swim....well it was fast...until my improper sighting, and my drafting off the fast feet in front of me led us about a minute off course. DARN! Should have followed that line like always! So about a minute to get back on course and ended up with a 34:00. Live and learn, and definitely work more on my sighting! ACK!
Cant. Get. Clipped. In!
Jumped on my bike ready for the bike course. I had forgotten my toe warmers, and since it was super cold out, knew I was going to need the desperately. I ran through transition, hit the mount line, and sure enough...another learning experience....Don't borrow gear. EVER. It was a super nice of my buddy to loan them to me (THANKYOU Gerry!!!), but they were too big-covered my cleat, and couldn't clip into my pedals! Tried to keep forcing them in, as I rolled down the street..eventually pulled over to the side of the road and ripped them off and they hung on my aerobars for 56 miles. Zoomed angrily out of town, tried to control myself as I kept thinking about all the better things I could have done with the 4 minutes i had already wasted away in this race. Positive calm thoughts took back over, and I rode the plan I was supposed to execute. Played it smart on the uphills, descending with passion, and hit a few good headwinds. All in all a slower ride from last year (too cold i think?), but happy that the scenery was gorgeous out there and the community seemed much friendlier! Ended with super numb limbs on a not as speedy bike course this year, with a 2:53.
Heading out to the run course, I have Kev yelling that I was in 5th position. oooooh yeah. Love that...Ok, well goal was not to lose any places. Ran my first loop feeling pretty snappy, it seems that everyone we know came up to cheer all the athletes on. Such a awesome feeling, thanks to all who went out of their way that day for all of us. So nice of you! The hills are steepish on the run, but fairly easy to zoom through...just need to pace it properly. The second loop has a pretty crappy false flat in it, that when you are feeling your quads aching...well it finishes them off. Neat. Yeah, I said it. Neat. So that was where my right quad started cramping, yet again. No, not salt issues....I wish! Just need more strength training in my regime that I left by the wayside this year (last year, I trained legs heavy once a week). I was able to shake it off, cry about the 30 year olds I saw pass me, have my melt down and bust through the rest of the course.
I love these challenging times, they really test what you're made of. I have so much clarity come to me, when I hurt this bad. Its like I am making a list of everything I will be doing
differently for the next race. Run time 1:53. Boo. 2 minutes faster than Vineman, and that one felt terrible!
Overall result was 5:24, and 9th place. So it was a huge learning day for me. We all have amazing days and learning days. This has been a learning year. I am just taking it all in! Love it!
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