I am normally quite diligent with my race reports, however, I haven’t had my feet on solid ground for a few weeks, so I apologize for leaving you in suspense! In a nutshell, here is what the last two weeks have looked like for me: pack up Boulder apartment; pack bike; fly to Des Moines; race HyVee 5150; pack bike; fly back to Boulder; drive 14 hours home to Tucson; unpack bike; pack bike; fly to Las Vegas; race IM 70.3 Las Vegas World Championships; win; pack bike; fly back to Tucson; unpack bike; pack bike; fly to Kona; breathe; write this race report!!
So in this race report, I will do my best to remember what went down amongst all the craziness in my life to bring you up to speed on the HyVee 5150 race in Des Moines and the IM 70.3 World Champs in Las Vegas a week later. Great for you readers, because now you get a two-for-one deal………and let’s be honest, who doesn’t love a bargain???!!!!
Last year I watched the live online video stream of HyVee 5150 and I was almost jumping out of my skin with excitement and anxiety, so much so, I found it difficult to sit still. With sweaty hands and my heart racing, I said I would not be watching the race in 2012, but racing it. And so I secured qualification to HyVee 5150 (which, FYI, is the richest triathlon on the circuit), via the points system, and on September 2nd I was standing on the start line.
Essentially, despite being dubbed an Ironman triathlete these days (and a veteran one at that!), I can still lay it down in an Olympic distance race. With a 2nd at the Columbia 5150 and a win at Escape from Alcatraz, I wouldn’t say I am all that shabby at the distance. So I felt pretty good about my odds of doing alright. My pre-race tune up workouts indicated I had speed and that I was in fairly decent shape. But the problem I had on race day was not so much a lack of speed in my legs, nor my arms, but my lungs. I suffer from Asthma. I was diagnosed in 1996. It has been a very long time since I had an attack, and for that reason, I had not been taking my medication as frequently as I perhaps should, and coming down from the dry air of Boulder to the hot and humid conditions of Des Moines did not work favorably for my condition.
I struggled with my breathing from the minute the gun went off. I couldn’t hang on to the girls who I normally exit the water with. I was killing myself on the bike and yet I felt like I was spinning on the spot. And the run was just a battle with my head that said stop and my lungs that didn’t want to work. I barely made it to the finish line. However, I am rather pleased that I did because of the hefty pay check that came along with my less than average 15th place performance. I was definitely disappointed about my race in HyVee. I know what I am capable of, but something else was in my destiny.
After a 14hour road trip back to Tucson the day after HyVee 5150, I made a quick change of equipment and clothing and took off to Las Vegas for the 70.3 World Champs. With the two races being a week apart, I didn’t do a whole lot of anything other than eat, sleep, tweet and travel. The problem I had during my last race ate away a bit of my confidence. I had pretty low expectations of myself coming into IM 70.3 Las Vegas. I questioned what I was doing there at all. My biggest concern was another bout of asthma during the race and another week of Kona of preparation out the window.
But I am a racer. It’s what I know and it’s what I love. And as the race drew closer, I was mentally ready to once again give it 100%. The doubts I had about my form and ability soon diminished as Siri Lindley (my coach) and I reflected on all the hard work we had put in over the past months. Quite a few people made comments that I was just using Vegas as a warm up race for Kona. But the truth is that it is a World Championship event and it has to be raced as such. I was there to race the best in the world at the 70.3 distance, not to just go through the motions of racing. I give it my all in every race I do.
The conditions in Vegas were brutal. I knew it was going to be hot from what I experienced the year before, but this was way hotter. I saw temperatures in the 100’s from 9am onwards the whole time I was there. Same for everyone!
The swim was not my best. I swam well, but I never felt great. Jodie Swallow led it out, and I was 30secs down on the feet of Kelly Williams in 3rd. I felt good as I hit the bike, however it wasn’t until half way that I realized I must have been feeling really good when I caught Jodie and put time into the rest of the field. Admittedly, I was rather shocked to come off the bike with a 2 minute lead. The women in this race were no slouches on the bike. In fact, I raced quite a few the weekend before in Hy Vee, and all of them caught and passed me during that race.
The run was nothing short of hot, hot, hot, with little if any shade. There was some welcome relief with ice cold water at the aid stations. With the added bonus of being in the lead, I started to gain momentum and put time into my main competition, Heather Jackson (2nd off the bike) and Melissa Hauschildt, Angela Naeth, Margaret Shapiro, Joanna Lawn, Mirinda Carfrae, Meredith Kessler, Lindsay Corbin and Magali Tisseyre. One or two of these girls had caught and passed me in a number of races I had done this year. It was either a case of me blowing up on the run, or them just being the better runner on the day. Not this time…….with one exception: Kelly Williamson. She is kind of a sneaky fox. Although she didn’t have the best bike of the day, she was gradually passing one athlete after the next and with one lap left of the 3 lap run course, she was definitely in striking distance to me if I didn’t hold my shit together. I had about a 2min lead on her and I would have to slow down 45sec per mile for her to catch me. That was not going to happen. This was my day. I wanted this badly enough. I have wanted to win this World Title since the inception of the 70.3 distance back in 2006. I have raced every one of them with a mixed bag of results including a 2nd and a 3rd.
Now with 3 World Titles to my name, there is still one that I want even more: the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii. Watch this space! 4 weeks away and the countdown has begun!!!
Before I sign off, I want to let all my sponsors know how grateful I am to you for your ongoing support: Driscoll’s Berries, K-Swiss, Pacific Health Labs (makers of Endurox R4 & Accelerade), Pinarello, Trisports.com, Easton, Giro, Blueseventy, ISM Saddles,Tor Hans, Computrainer, Fuel Belt, Skins, TriBike Transport, Oakley, Halo Trainer and PowerCranks.
Thank you Kevin Koresky (Tri Lounge & Finishline Multisport) and Jene Shaw (Triathlete Magazine) for your awesome photos!