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| This trip truly was brought to you by Athletes Lounge! The likeleyhood of my 200k mile Subaru making it over the Rockies without causing a major delay was very slim, and the store saved me once again. |
I'm going to be brief with this post as it already late (apologies) and my training is at an all-time high in preparation for Elite Nationals on Sept 15th.
Kelowna was far from a perfect race and as my second professional draft-legal experience, it was just as full of learning opportunities as the first. I took one step too many running into the water, and I face-planted into the water, at less than optimal velocity, filling my goggles up with water. It only caused a split-second delay, but it was enough to get me caught in traffic to the first buoy and I missed out on the lead pack. I managed to claw my way through the field and finished the swim 40 seconds back of the 9 leaders, and at the front of the chase group. Upon mounting my bike, I discovered that my front tire was flat, (due to a faulty valve) and had to stop after two miles for a wheel-swap. This meant I had to chase for about 4 miles to catch back up to my group, using precious energy in the process. Our group grew to 12 by halfway through the ride, and we came into transition 2 as a group. I had a strong start on the run, and definitely improved on my performance in Dallas, but still not as fast as I need to be. Improvement is the key though, and in this crucial rookie season, I'll take it. I had a blast racing, and it certainly is a privilege to race at such a high level with such talented athletes.
In the past week, I have had time to reflect and speak with my coach, and know what I need to fix in order to make it as a professional. To all of those who have believed in me, supported me, and stood by me, thank you so much. It means the world, and it keeps me going during the toughest days. I've got a lot of work to do.
