Thanks to the use of powercranks I was able to hit a soloid 7th place performance at Wildflower. Here is the recap:
Pre-race:
I woke up at 5:45 to kick start the day with a very large cup of coffee and a few bars. I slept quite well and was ready to get down to the race sight. I walked a few minutes, jogged a few minutes and rode my bike down to the transition area. I did a few pick-ups at race speed.
Swim:
I believe there was around 15-20 pro-women on the start line. The swim was shaped as an L-shape. I got stuck in midst of flailing arms and kicking. It was a rough start and I unfortunately didn’t get on someone’s heels again. I was left with one other girl and managed to draft part-way. The last 200m or so I lead in. There were a few girls in the back and a few in front of us. The ‘swimmers’ were already out of the water before I had a chance to see them get away.
Bike:I felt strong on the bike. Seeing the course prior to racing it makes a huge difference mentally and physically. I knew what was coming and sustained a solid average heart-rate. I had no ‘low’ times on the bike at all and felt strong coming into transition. The time flew by on the hills and I knew I was going to at least make time on the girls behind me. I caught a few ladies and that fueled the fire for me to keep going. I used Chuckie’s race wheels: sew-ups. It made my bike feel like a million bucks – minus the few extra pounds I carry compared to the triathlon specific bikes and I am sure, every pro woman out there! I love my Cannondale but I know it’s a bit on the heavy side as compared to the P2 or Transition or….
Run:
This course is by far the HARDEST course I have run. And to this year, it was my hardest run yet. (My previous hardest run was a LT run lasting a whopping 40minutes. It is all part of the slow progression…) The first five miles were literally up and down, slanted rough dirt trails that seemed to have been made by the wild boar that we saw a week past.. I managed to pace myself with a 25-29 year old age-group male who helped me up and down the hills stride for stride. At the 6 mile marker things started to feel better. I used coke and NUUN for fuel and this helped with the waning energy that emerged literally every 5 minutes in the first 5 miles. Chuckie was able to ride around on his mountain bike on the race course and cheered us all on. He coaxed me to push a little deeper at mile 10-12 and I caught Alexis Smith (formerly Waddell). The last mile was downhill and I relaxed until the finish line. Overall, I placed 7th with a time of 4:50 flat.
I feel great about the race and felt solid in the bike – something I was aiming for this time. I continue to try and find the large feet, oversized lats and upper body strength that is needed in the swim – but I think it may just take a bit more hard work and patience…
I am triathlete that will be racing the half-ironman distances in the 2008 season. I am coached by Chuckie V. www.solvangtriathloncamps.com Eventually I will turn my goals into the Ironman.