Closing out the 2009 Triathlon season with a huge win! 1st in Age Group and 2nd Place Overall Female at the Scott Tinley's Adventures 2009 Olympic Distance Triathlon. It was an amazing race.
Ranking: 1st Place in Age Group & 2st Place Overall Female
Overall Time: 02:44:37
Swim: 00:26:48 - 2nd fastest female swim
T1: 00:01:14
Bike: 01:20:20 - 1st fastest female bike
T2: 00:00:42
Run: 00:55:33
Starting off in the early AM hours out at Lake Lopez with the temperature at a brisk 39 degrees! It was freezing! I was not a fan and wished again that I had some gloves. As the sun started to rise, the temperature still didn't budge but the race must go on so I got all setup and ready to go.
Down by the swim start, we realized that the water was actually warmer than the cold concrete so I got a good 15 minute warmup swim in. Wearing the wetsuit made me feel super fast compared to last Saturday's sprint race where I didn't bother wearing it since it was only 400 yrd. This swim was two loops around a bunch of buoys. I knew there was one woman in front of me out of the swim so I felt pretty good.
I had a quick transition onto the bike and then off for 26 miles of biking fun. The first half was pretty cold and windy but not enough to blow the bike, which was a good thing. There was also a lot of downhill on the way out which was fun but what goes down must come up on a loop course. The second half was definitely more challenging as the sun and heat starting to come out. I passed two women towards the beginning of the bike leg so I knew that I must be in the top three female. I made a point to stand up a couple times during the bike and flush my legs out...one of the tips I learned at the USAT Coach's certification clinic.
Then I was back into T2 with a quick transition and off to the run. I made a point not to sprint out of transition which I think has always damaged me. Plus my feet was totally numb so I knew it would take 1.5 to 2 miles for them to thaw out. The run course had some rolling hills in the beginning which weren't too bad. But towards the 2.5 mark, there was a wicked uphill that sucked the air out of you. The run was two loops so I knew I would have to be back on the uphill so I didn't go crazy on the first time. Then there was a nice downhill for a brief recovery.
A couple times as I passed the water stations, the people would say that I was the 1st place girl. I kept myself very focused and tried not to even glance at the racers on the other side of the loops because I didn't want to see those girls running fast enough to pass me. One female who was 42 years old passed me on the second loop but I knew I was still in prime position and my legs felt great. The transition runs after my bike workouts for the past 2 weeks have really made a difference. This was the first Olympic distance race where I felt that my legs didn't bonk at all. It was amazing. I just had to kept my breathing in check and my mental game strong. After the 2nd huge uphill, I knew I was golden. I pumped it out and crossed the finish line with a great smile. I destroyed this race and I know that I did the best that I could have done. What a fanstatic way to end this season. It has been such a journey and I can't wait to see where I go next! :-)
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