I know it's a bit delayed, and I apologize for taking so long to get this out. I've found myself incredibly busy with getting back to work, sorting out my new training schedule, and the usual stuff associated with returning from a trip. End of excuses, on to the race! It was my first draft legal pro race, which, for those who don't follow triathlon closely, means that athletes are allowed to ride as close to one another as they like. This means that they can work as a group, just like in cycling, with some athletes "breaking" the wind, while others ride easily behind. In this style of racing, a group or "pack" of riders working together and taking turns leading can ride much faster than an athlete riding alone. This makes it so that a large group of athletes can make it to the run portion of the Tri relatively fresh, and ready to run extremely fast. It is also worth noting that this is the format that is used for the Olympics, and is therefore what I need to spend the bulk of my time doing. (versus Ironman or 70.3 distance)
At this particular race, I had a strong swim, and I managed to come out of the water with the lead pack of athletes, except for a trio of very strong swimmers who were a minute ahead. It doesn't necessarily pay to come out of the water far in the lead unless one is strong enough to hold off the fast-moving, larger group behind. My group quickly caught the leaders, and then slowed considerably, having eliminated the threat. Unfortunately there was a group of strong runners about 45 seconds behind us, and in order to keep them from catching up, we would need to pick up the pace. At a particularly slow moment, I moved to the front with one other athlete, and our acceleration went unanswered by the group, which was very surprising. Before we knew it, we had a 50 meter gap and were continuing to pull away. As we rode by the start of each lap, we got time checks from spectators. 30 seconds, 40 seconds, 1 minute! Every time we went by, the crowd got louder and louder, I definitely think they wanted us to succeed. By the time we came in to transition 2, ready to start the run, we had a lead of 1:20 and I was feeling strong.
When I got out on the run, things quickly took a turn for the worse. The 95 degree heat, (more like 105 on the exposed tarmac) went straight to my legs and within one kilometer I was on the brink of having my quads completely lock up with cramps. The lead I had worked to establish quickly faded away and I slipped through the field and came across the line in 27th place. Definitely disappointing, but also encouraging. I know heat is a weakness for me, and I need to work on my hydration strategy so that I can have success in these hotter races.
After the race I sat in an ice bath for quite a while and eventually was taken in to the back of an ambulance by worried paramedics. After getting an IV I started feeling better and was able to walk on my own. It's taken the last 5 days for me to fully recover, and I'm psyched to get back to full training so I can work on preparing myself for the next race. Every race I do is an opportunity to learn and develop myself both physically and mentally as an athlete. At the race I competed in last weekend, the Capitol of Texas Toyota Cup, I let myself get psyched out because I was racing with Olympians. It was my first pro race ever, and I got three hours of sleep the night before because my heart was racing and the adrenaline was flowing. By the time I got halfway through the swim, I had worked myself up so much, I was mentally fatigued and when the lead group of three or four swimmers got away, I convinced myself I was having a bad day. This was not the case in Dallas, and I turned things around and never let myself loose my mental edge. As long as each race is better than the last, I know I can make a living at this and achieve my goals :)
Check out my sponsor page to see the people who are supporting me and making this possible. I can't thank them enough.
Magog Pan American Cup is a little over a month away. Back to work.
