STOP THE PRESS!  My race report has gone MIA– an urgent issue of utmost concern.

I’m re-posting my race report below (complete) since apparently only Firefox displayed the last one.   I’m decent with computers as long as nothing gets too wacky, so I have no explanation other than to say that my race report DNF’d (Did Not Finish), but I did finish!  Hope it goes through. If not, it wasn’t meant to be remembered!!

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I totally strayed from the plan this week, and made my typical lazy-ass-taper even lazier.  Not totally intentionally, but I was just really busy and didn’t get around to too much workout-wise.  Like anything. I know, I know… it’s bad.  Coach Matt doesn’t even want to hear about it. So let’s just not talk about it.

I extended my lazier-ass-taper into the day before the race, which was pretty ballsy. I couldn’t help it; the logistics of the trip didn’t get me to the race site until about 17min before the pro meeting on Friday afternoon.  So, I did get in a quick run that morning, but no bike ride and no swim.  I figured if I visualized everything, it might be just as good.  Visualization is great; you don’t even get sweaty.

Steelhead 70.3 is really Steelhead 71.5, they just don’t put that in the brochure.  Before the 1.2 mile swim, you get to walk 1.2 miles TO the swim start.  On the beach.  You know how everyone loves the romantic idea of running/walking on the beach?  Not me.  It’s hard.  And uncomfortable.  And if I have to swim/bike/run 70.3 miles, I don’t want to walk an additional 2 feet.  But I’m also the President of the Lazy-Ass-Taper Club, so maybe I’m not the best person to give an opinion on this.

JennyG and Me

Where's Waldo? Hint: Waldo looks nervous.

I survived the strenuous 1.2 mile walk to the start, and chummed it up with Jenny Garrison before we headed into the abyss (otherwise known as the swim).  Don’t let my rich vocabulary fool you; I actually quite enjoyed this swim.  First, we wore wetsuits, which, even with their stuffed-sausage-esqe appeal, they do provide that extra buoyancy that we non-swimmers love so much. And apparently stuffed sausages swim faster; at least this one did.  Boo-ya! Who broke 32 min?!  ME ME ME! I thought it could never be done. One year ago I swam 35+ with a wetsuit on. When I came out of the water, I glanced down at my watch and saw the most glorious numbers a duathlete could see:  29:54.  For the first time in my illustrious triathlon career, I didn’t cuss when I exited the swim!  With my run to the transition mat, though, I was 30:45 (hey, it was a long run).  VERY excited.  Certainly far off the top pro women’s swim times, but I never claimed to be amphibious.

OK but before we move onto the bike, I have to share the HIGHLIGHT of this race.  This is pretty crazy, but at least one or two girls drafted off ME in the swim.  Yes—ME.  How hilarious is that? I would’ve gotten annoyed with all the feet-grabbing . . . if I hadn’t been so flattered!!!  That was definitely a first.

Time to play catch up! I jumped on the bike and got to work.  I had fun moving up the field, but didn’t not have fun dodging the potholes, cracks, crevices, and crazy chipped seal splotches on these roads.  For some reason I thought this would be a faster course, but it wasn’t flying-fast.

Perma-grin. Love me some bike ridin'!

I haven’t said much about my new Specialized Transition Expert from Roswell Bicycles, but I am LOVING this ride.  Coach Matt got me into a more aggressive position for this race (something we’ve been progressively working on over the season).  It’s not always easy to stay aero for 56 miles and still be comfortable, but he managed to get me there. Thanks Matt.

The bike course was scenic and had quite a few rolling hills, which kept it interesting.  There were signs all over the place for fresh blueberries and other fruit, and I had to dig deep not to pull over and help myself.  Mental toughness!

I had moved up to 6th place and didn’t see anyone else on the bike until the last mile or two.  That’s when I passed Nina and Amanda, and even though I knew it would be short-lived, it put me in 3rd place rolling into transition (from 13th out of the water), which was an amazing feeling.  It’s just really cool to be in the mix.  Bike time: 2:24:27 (23.26mph).

Like I said — SHORT LIVED!  Both Nina and Amanda looked awesome on the run, and wasted no time in settling back into their positions.

Hello big hill. Bye bye Amanda.

Plus there was still Kelly (Handel) Williamson behind me, who has the most menacing ability to drop a 1:22 half marathon and run her way up any field.  About mile 7, the gazelle flew by me.  She was phenomenal!

The run was a little tougher than I expected, and I ran a couple minutes slower than I had been training for. I knew I took a risk in biking a little harder, but I felt like I had to make a go of it and see what I could do.  Overall, I’m pleased that I hung on for a 1:33 (7:06/mile).

The Lone Ranger.

A new buddy around mile 8.

I still find that running down the final stretch is incredibly exhilarating and gratifying.  Crossing the finish line (any finish line) is an awesome feeling.  I was very proud to finish 6th among such talented and strong women.  Congratulations to all those who finished on Saturday, and especially those who really rocked it and finished on the podium.  A big shout out to Starky, who biked like a man possessed (who bikes a 2:05?!!!) ran the show until Andy Potts took over late in the half marathon. An incredible 2nd place finish for him.

FINITO!!!

I can’t say enough how grateful I am to have such a talented and hard-working coach behind me.  Matt Russ has a wicked arsenal of knowledge, but never stops looking for more.  He is incredibly dedicated to his athletes, and I am very lucky to be one of them.  I am really excited about how far we’ve come and can’t wait to see what else we can do! Thank you, Matt.

And of course, thanks to Liz and Chris for the sweet snack sack fit for a queen (at least a road-trippin’, carb-eatin’ queen) and for trusting me with the clutch that I nearly destroyed.

Next up is Augusta 70.3. I can’t wait to race in the Peach State and have so many friends on the course. It’s always more fun that way.

Thanks so much for all the encouragement, and thanks for checking in!

All Pro Female Athletes