St. Anthony's Triathlon

It has taken me a few days to properly digest my result in St. Anthony’s.  To explain why this race is so important to me, I suppose I need to start at the beginning.  I first participated in St. Anthony’s as a part of the world cup race back in 2001; I was 17.  I came back many times after that placing 10^th, 7^th, 5^th,4^th, 2^nd and FINALLY in 2013 1^st!!!  I’ve done this race so many times and toed the line with incredible competition that this event attracts.  This year was no exception; there was an extremely competitive mix of ITU athletes and non-draft athletes that included Olympic medalists and World Champions.

Race day was windier than expected, which made for a very wavy swim.  I had a good start and got out well with the speedy swimmers.  We made a 90 degree turn straight out to sea and that’s when the swim got rough.  I wasn’t able to hold the feet of the lead group and lost some time. I exited the water in 6^th place 40 seconds back of the leader. 

I got onto the bike and knew I wanted to catch the leaders as soon as possible. I caught everyone except for Nicky Samuels by the 5 mile mark.  I caught Nicky right as we went though the golf course and we rode the remainder of the course together. 

I came into T2 in first place with Nicky right behind me. I felt good on the run and I had no idea how it was going until the 3.1 mile turn around.  I could see that I had about 20 seconds on Nicky and maybe a minute on 3^rd, but everyone was looking very good. I didn’t let myself settle or become too comfortable.  I kept pushing hard and as I rounded the final turn to head into the finish chute I felt like my heart was going to burst with happiness. Lifting the tape over my head was pure JOY! 

Next on my race schedule is Columbia 51.50 on May 19.  Thank you for reading!

Thank you to Nils Nilsen for these beautiful pictures.

Clermont, Sarasota and South Beach!

I began my race season in Clermont, FL  at a sprint distance ITU Pan American Cup and two weeks later I raced in Sarasota, FL.  Though draft legal racing is not my focus, with two Pan American cups that were driving distance from my home I couldn’t turn down the opportunity to race. 

Clermont ITU

I had a good swim but was just off the back of the main pack. I worked hard on first lap and was able to get on the group.  We were worked sporadically well together in our group, and we were able to shed a few people in the technical section through transition.  I had a good T2 and immediately Sarah Groff set the pace on the run.  I ran the majority of the run with Paula Findlay and finished in 4^th place.  Overall a great start to the season!

Sarasota ITU

This was my first Olympic distance race of the year.  I had a great swim and exited the water in the small group of six.  I immediately pushed the pace on the bike with Sara McLarty and we were able to make our group of 6 turn into 4.  However, as we were finishing up our second lap, McLarty flatted.  My training partners, Carol Routier and Paula Findlay and I were left to try and hold off the chase.  We rode well together with Paula and I taking turns at the front.  Our lead grew with every lap and it left us very motivated to continue to push the pace.

We came off the bike with a big lead and I went onto the run with legs that immediately felt tired.  I ran with Paula and Carol on the first lap, but I was not able to continue the pace on lap 2. I unraveled a bit as the run progressed and finished up in 6^th place.  Overall, I was happy with the effort on the day!

Nautica South Beach

South Beach is the first of 7 races in the Life Time Fitness triathlon Series.  The swim was wavier than usual, with about 2-3 foot waves.  The swim went really smoothly.  None of us were effectively able to swim as a group or really get any benefit from drafting on the feet due to the swells.  I excited the water with the lead group, about 90 seconds down from Sara McLarty. 

I got onto the bike and focused on pushing the pace early.  I   I moved into the lead with about 20min left in the bike.  I worked hard to get as much time as possible on the rest of my competitors. 

was able to gap the main group and focus on catching people ahead of me.

I came off the bike with about a minute lead on Helle Frederickson.  I felt really good starting the run and focused on pushing very hard through 3 miles where I would finally get a chance to see what my lead was.  I saw that I only had about 15 seconds on Helle.  I knew she was closing.  I never gave up, I went as hard as I could, but I just couldn’t match Helle’s speed.  I crossed the finish line in 2^nd place, extremely happy with my performance.  I also had the fastest bike split which awards me with a 0.5 point bonus for the rankings. 

My next race will be the St. Anthony’s Triathlon.  This race is completely stacked and will be an excellent opportunity to test myself against some of the best triathletes in the world.  

UWC Triathlon 11/4/2012

UWC Triathlon

Nassau, Bahamas

November 4, 2012

Finishing off my season of racing in the Bahamas was an easy decision for multiple reasons.  I wanted to support my friend Barbara Ann Bernard in her goal of raising funds for a UWC scholarship for a Bahamian youngster.  Plus, Jarrod and I fell in love with the Bahamas after travelling there to race the Tour of Bahamas bike race in January of this year.  We were excited to support the race and visit this beautiful country again.

Due to hurricane Sandy the event was postponed by one week.  Still, 14 professional triathletes from a variety of different distances (Olympic to Ironman) showed up to race and support the event.  We all received local homestays, who were beyond accommodating and welcoming.  We also had the opportunity to have unique experiences such as a boat trip out to “Iguana Island” to feed some iguanas and enjoy lunch at Highbourne Cay; the hospitality was endless.

The swim started from “Jaws Beach”- where the movie Jaws was filmed.  The water was crystal clear and there were loads of starfish to look at, and thankfully no sharks.  The swim course was two loops and the women started with the men. My decision to start outside to avoid getting trampled by the men backfired and I almost found myself in no mans' land.  With the sun low in the sky, sighting back to shore was hard. You couldn’t see the beach, and if you hadn’t figured out which tree you needed to sight off of in warm up, you had no idea where you were going.  I dodged a group that was going off course and ended up leading a group of 3 of us out of the water.  On my feet were Chris Foster and Lauren Goss. 

I got onto the bike and pushed the pace immediately.  I found my rhythm and tried to keep Chris in sight for as long as possible.  I passed Anna Cleaver - who exited the water ahead of me - at about mile 3 on the bike.  I was feeling good and used the men as motivation to really challenge myself and push the pace.  I came off the bike with about a 4-minute lead on the next female.  I felt great on the run and was so pumped to see that Jarrod was leading the men’s race.  We made it a goal for us both to win the race.  On the second lap of the run I was feeling pretty happy with myself until Jarrod said, “Go faster!! You can come top 5 overall!”.  I kept my foot on the gas as I passed 6^th place in the mens race and I could see 5^th place up the road but I just couldn’t close the gap.  I crossed the finish line about three minutes ahead of Lauren Goss.  Super long course athlete, Heather Wurtele, rounded out the podium. 

 

Overall this race was a fantastic experience and I will definitely be back for as many years as they’ll have me. It was great to finish off the season on such a positive note.  We spent a week after the race vacationing and enjoying the Bahamas. We had an incredible time.  We are now back into training and looking forward to 2013!

Dallas

Q: Congrats on your 2nd place in the Lifetime Series!  How did you react when you first realized your great finish? 

I cried. I had tears in my eyes from about a half mile out because I was ecstatic with how I was racing.  I have NEVER been that close to Haskins, ever.  17 seconds.  It was so wonderful to see all my hard work pay off and persevere in really tough conditions.  I crossed the line and Haskins was right there and I think I squeezed her to death with my hug- I was just so happy.  

Q: This race was on your birthday; how did you celebrate? 

By flying home straight to my husband. I miss him a lot when I travel and just wanted to get home to see him.  The day after the race Jarrod took me out to my favorite restaurant and we had a beautiful meal. It was a great way to celebrate my birthday and the season.

Q: How did the cold weather affect your race?  Were you expecting the cold? 

We were expecting the cold. The forecast showed that it was going to cool down a great deal. Many races this season have been so hot that I was looking forward to racing in the cold.  I decided not to get in the water for a swim warm up since it was a non wetsuit swim and we (Jenna and I) stayed in our hotel room with heat jacked up until the last possible minute. I thought we might have waited too long- I thought we were going to be late!  My T1 was terribly slow because I decided to put on gloves- which I was really grateful I did because otherwise my hands would have froze.  T2 was definitely slow- I couldn't feel my legs from the knees down.  My nutrition and hydration planned changed for the cooler conditions as well.  

Q: You crossed the finish line 17 seconds behind Sarah Haskins; she's usually pretty tough to catch.  Did that give you a special kind of rush? 

Absolutely!  I think I described the feeling in question #1 pretty well.  Sarah is a close friend and we train together and push each other to become the best triathletes we can be.  Other than Lisa Norden, no one has really given her a good run for her money to win these races.  If I can have more races like I did in LA and Dallas in 2013 I think we could have some more close races in the future. 

Q: What are your immediate plans for the off-season? 

REST! I have one more race in the Bahamas at the end of the month and I'm looking forward to enjoying my time there post race.  

LA Win!

Q: Congrats on your win in LA!  How sweet was this victory going into the series final? 

After disappointing results in Chicago and Hy Vee, I made the goal of winning LA and trying to claw my way back to 2nd place in the Life Time Series.  I had planned and trained for the course in LA and to have it unfold the way I planned was the most wonderful feeling.  The result gave me so much confidence that I could really have a fantastic result the next weekend in Dallas. 

Q: How was the course and weather in LA for the race? 

The course in LA was unique because there were two separate transitions more than 20k apart.  We brought our T2 gear to the pro meeting and they were set out for us on race morning. As someone who is extremely detail oriented, this was a little nerve wracking for me. I think I asked a million questions about how the bag would be layed out, would it be knotted, unknotted, etc.  The swim was on Venice beach and was a wet suit swim. The surf was fairly large- I think someone said they were about 8 footers.  It was a bit of an adventure getting out past the breakers and then body surfing them on the way in.  The bike course was point to point and rolling.  The wind seemed to constantly feel like a head wind, which I like so that suited me just fine:)  The run course was mostly flat except for one enormous hill that we had to go up and down twice.  It was chilly at the race start but by the time we got to the run it had warmed up nicely.  With no humidity it was pretty much ideal race conditions. 

Q: You had the fastest bike split by over 3.5 minutes; what do you think helped you achieve this amazing time?  

I had a strong commitment to my race plan.  I was using some of the pro men as carrots and trying to catch as many of them as I could. Plus the out and back sections on the bike helped me see how my lead was doing but I never dreamed it was going to be 3.5 minutes.  That was a bonus. I never let myself get comfortable or become too pleased with myself. I pushed until it was clear I would have the win- but even still you never know- something random could happen to prevent you from getting to finish line first.  I never like to start celebrating early or counting my chickens before they are hatched.  I have tunnel vision for the finish line.  After that, then yes, I'll raise my arms and enjoy the moment.  

Q: Your sister-in-law, Jenna Parker (who also happens to be a pro triathlete) lives in LA; were you able to see her while you were there?

I stayed with Jenna, not only leading into LA but also the entire week leading into Dallas.  We had so much fun training and living together.  Jake joined us on Friday leading into LA and it was his first pro race.  My good friend, Jen Tetrick, who is another pro triathlete who lives in LA came and completely took care of us the night before our race and sagged (drove behind us in her car) us in the dark bike ride to Venice Beach.  I have never spent time in LA and it was great to see all the different training locations and places that Jen and Jenna have told me about.  Jenna surprised me and we went to the spa one day for massages and pedicures, we shopped, ate at her favorite restaurants, watched a lot of movies, and mostly just enjoyed having time together.  It was a great week!

Hy Vee

          Hy Vee (For a gorgeous photo gallery by Eric Wynn, visit: 
          http://www.slowtwitch.com/Lifestyle/Hy-Vee_5i50_Championships_Gallery_3050.html)

I felt like I had recovered well from Chicago.  We got lucky with the weather in Chicago. If it had been in the high 90’s like they had projected it would have been difficult to recover from Chicago and then race well again in Hy Vee, which was set to be another hot race.

Due to the drought in the mid west, the swim venue for the professionals was moved to Gray’s Lake with the age group athletes.  We set up T2 at the Capitol and wheeled down to T1 at Gray’s Lake and it suddenly became clear it was going to be a hot race.  I later found out that it was 97 degrees at the start of our swim. The water temp was 81.  We were all stuffing our suits with ice as we were called down to the swim pontoon. I’m not sure anyone was completely prepared for this kind of heat and we were doing everything we could to keep our core body temps down.

I had an ok swim but missed the lead group.  The pace was slower than I was expecting but it didn’t feel easy.  The warm water and air temperature made it difficult to keep your body temp down. I got onto the bike and heard that the lead pack was just 45 seconds up the road.  I knew I wanted to really push the pace on the bike and I did. I caught and passed everyone on lap 3 except for Haskins who was still 20 seconds up the road.  I had put in a big effort to make sure no one came with me from the lead swim pack and as I came through the completion of lap 3 I knew I was going to go for it and try to get the last prime on the bike. I got within 16 seconds of Haskins and suddenly I heard the disc of Lisa Norden and a few other girls riding with her.  I didn’t realize I had blown up at the time but when they went by me I knew I had.  I was able to match their pace but I had no more matches to burn.

I went on to the run a little terrified.  It was hot and I was already overheating from the bike.  I had played my card on the bike and I feared I was going to pay for it on the run.  While I knew I had ridden super well and executed my plan, my body was falling apart in the heat.  I mentally willed my body to turn over my legs but I felt like I was moving in slow motion.  By the time I got to the finish line I was beyond spent.  I couldn’t stand up and went straight to sit in the shade of barriers.  I hung my head in disappointment for a while.  I was seriously mad about how the race unfolded.  I had raced so much better than I had in 2011 but I wanted more.

This disappointment lit a fire in my belly that I has driven my training for the past 4 weeks.  I’ve taken some big risks, ones that I hope will pay off on race day. At this point last season, I was burned out and extremely injured.  I’m tired right now for sure, but I feel a calm excitement for these last two races.  I feel ready to unleash every ounce of work I have put in on the course in LA and Dallas.  I’m ready to race.  I’m more motivated than I have ever been to squeeze every bit of speed I can from my body.  

Chicago Triathlon- Lifetime Series 

After a couple weeks off of racing and a solid training block, I was really looking forward to getting back to racing.  Travels went smoothly, and after arriving in the heat of downtown Chicago I began looking closely at the forecast for any sign of reprieve.  Luckily for us on race day it poured rain the entire race.

I had a great start to my swim and busted my butt to try and get on the Laura Bennet and Sarah Haskins train.  With Laura’s opening speed and Sarah’s consistent speed I just couldn’t hang on to the group.  I led the next group out of the water but we had lost a significant amount of time to the lead group that consisted of Haskins, Bennett and Luxford. Blatchford was just ahead of me so I at least had a carrot in sight as we ran to T1.

I chose to put flats on for the 1k run to T1.  With Hy Vee the following weekend I didn’t want to risk bruising my feet or stepping on something sharp.  As I mounted my bike I could see Liz Blatchford just up the road.  With the rain pouring down, I focused on riding hard when it was safe and took the U-turns with caution.  I caught Blatchford and Bennet.  At the half way point I could see that I had put almost a minute into Haskins and Luxford.  I closed a bit more on the second lap and came into T2 about 40 seconds down. 

I started the run with Luxford just ahead of me. She seemed closer than 40 seconds ahead. At times I felt like I was closing but I kept getting reports that the gap was the same.  At the half way point I could see that Laura had put significant time into me in the first 3 miles and that Blatchford was not far off her pace.  I knew I needed to up the pace if was going to get on the podium.  But that turn around was the motivator for everyone else too.  With 2 miles to go Laura went by me and I did my best to hold on to 4^th place but Liz caught me just before the finishing shoot. I tried to sprint but I just couldn’t respond. I was disappointed to cross the line in 5^th place.  2^nd to 5^th place were less than a minute apart which is exciting for a women’s non draft event.  Overall I was happy with the race but with Haskins, Bennett, Luxford and Blatchford all in the field it left little room for error or having a less than perfect day. 

With Hy Vee a week away, I scooted back to my hotel room, packed up and boarded a plane back to Orlando. I was excited to learn that my brother-in-law (Jacob Shoemaker) placed second overall in the age group race and got his pro card.  He’ll be racing the LA triathlon for his debut pro race!