You Gotta Have Heart....

Had to thank those who make it possible at the end (my mom!)

I just returned from a trip to Racine, Wisconsin by-way-of my parents place in Trafalgar, Indiana. I guess you could say it was a 'race and final wedding touches' trip. Well, of course 80% of my focus was the race on Sunday, however a lot of the 'discussion' in between race-talk was wedding details. It is just crazy, no matter how 'low key' you opt to do a wedding, I guess that inviting a large number of people (ie. wanting it to be a 'big party') involves a lot of details. However, I have many to thank (my mom, Donna, sisters, etc) for helping me out with it all...I am not sure why women get so stressed about it all, either. I mean, the details are just that...details! The key is just keeping the guests happy...good beer, good music, good vibes. That will be a given. :)

On to the race. This was Spirit of Racine, which I did in 2007. The reason I fly into Indy is that it is about a 5 hr drive from my parents place, so I can get some time in 'at home' as well as racing. I flew in on Thursday, and we drove to Racine, Wisconsin about mid-day on Friday. We arrived on Friday evening about 6:00. hit up a very nice Italian meal at Salute (the only good restaurant I believe in downtown Racine!) and walked around a bit, had ice cream and even walked along the water...I did something stupid which was feel the water. It made just my hand cold.

Thus, I began to get apprehensive of the rumor-ed 56-degree water. I probably would not have really cared, however I made (another) mistake of Saturday AM going to 'Slowtwitch.com' to see what people were saying about it. When I saw a guy I know James Cotter say "It was hard to keep my face in the water for more than about 50 meters", I got a bit freaked out. However, I had my trusty high-tech Zoot Suit (the Ultra) which I had faith would keep me warm, or at least as warm as possible.

Mike Caizzo (got 5th, I believe) pre-race...chatting and killing time...

Saturday was uneventful, actually my mom and I hit up Perkins for breakfast/lunch...living in Austin I am lucky that I *never* have to eat at chains. However, the eggs, pancakes and sausages were quite tasty. We then went to see the new movie "Wall-E." Very cute, got a bit long but was a good watch for a rainy day, one in which I 'had' to do nothing. (I so often find myself come Sunday AM nervous but anxious to actually DO something! Just one or 2 days off or very easy drive me up a wall).

There was some pretty crappy weather predicted for Sunday, so I was prepared for anything...actually looking forward do potential rain (not for the spectators, however) because at Buffalo Springs what made it scary was the hills...this race is very flat, so how bad could it be? We awoke to a very still yet VERY foggy morning...so the 7:00 start time became 7:15 which became 7:30, which became, yes...7:45. It almost seemed to get worse as time went on. We all just wandered to the start, and hung out..I believe I warmed up in the water for MAYBE 2 minutes. The water was a brisk 55-degrees, and shocking to the face. By the time 8:00 rolled around, I was truely hoping it would be a duathlon. However suddenly they said "We are cleared for the start!" My parents can probably tell you...I was really apprehensive. But, tried to quickly (in about 3 minutes!) get into race-mode. Go time!

The extremely huge womens field of maybe 6 people assembled behind the men, who went off 3 minutes ahead of us. Soon enough we were off, trying to swim away despite the EXTREMELY foggy conditions and bitter cold. Here is what our swim looked like....'

I am not lying when I say, I would pass one buoy and swim in as straight a line as I could until I could make out the next one. It was so bizarre, and a bit frustrating...but had to make the best of it! All was good until I noticed the finaly yellow triangular turn buoy I was approaching near the end was a barrel-shape, which was the 'guider' into shore...yikes. Quick correction, I bolted left as fast as possible to be sure to not miss a buoy! Luckily (just kidding) I took a few women off course with me. :) I had to laugh at myself for this mistake, though I am sure it was done by others (at least I hope).

I came out as the first woman but Becky Witinok-Huber was quick on my heels. She is an 'ITU' girl, so I know Becky is a strong swimmer. I tried hard to transition fast and get out of there. I know my cycling has come along, so I had to hammer from the start, which I did. Unfortunately Lauren Jenson (another great competitor out there, Lauren is an animal on the bike) passed me about only 10 miles in. This was frustrating, but I tried to stay positive. In comes the title of my blog...

I found myself being a bit negative on the bike. I would feel good and strong, then I would feel tired and the effort would feel very hard. I found myself saying, "Your heart is not in it today...maybe you'll flat..." off and on...I tried to assess these negative toughts and counteract them. The positive Kelly would say, "Come ON! You are doing what you love and you'd be pissed if you flatted! Hammer hammer hammer..." I don't think that my heart was not 'in it', I just think that I have found a different perspective this year on things...and I am ok admitting this every so often. However, I was able to stay 'in the race' so to speak because sometimes your heart has to be the driving factor, but in the heat of the race moment, it is about mentally staying in the game...maybe you have to be a bit hard on yourself, pragmatic...but I'll be damned if I'd ever just 'give up'.

I was passed near the end of the bike by Becky, which to be honest (no offense Becky!) irritated me...I was afraid I was slacking too much. So, I passed her back. :) This made me happy but I tried to do it with a statement and stay ahead, which I was able to do. I came into T2 from what people said "2 minutes back!" WOW! To have only lost 2 minutes to Lauren was very exciting! OK...back in the game. You can do anything for...1.5 more hours... ?!

I had a quick transition and was out onto the run. My legs were tired, but I still felt some very snappy turnover and tried to just find a good groove. I was able to reel in first place about 1-2 miles into it which was nice, however it was heating up (the sun actually came out) and I found my usual mantra 'Control, control, control. Don't blow this.' I knew that I was winning and the last thing I wanted to do was get over-zealous (ie. try to run a 1:20 off the bike and blow up) so I checked some mile splits and when I saw 6:15-6:20 on a few, I actually backed off slightly. Then I saw 6:45 and I sped up.

I came through the first loop in the lead, which was very cool...they run us through transition, which is so great for all the spectators! I was feeling strong, but knew I was only half-way. I believe I came through in about 42 minutes, so I was on pace for about a 1:24 split. The second lap did get tough at times, as I'd feel a leg/stride give out a bit, and I could feel some small cramping setting in...thus, I stuck to very consistent gel consumption (at about miles 2, 5, 8 and 11) and I feel that was a very smart plan. The volunteers were fantastic and I was able to get water to wash them all down with, and I FINALLY saw the 12-mile mark.

I knew now, I had it in the bag! I have to say, this was probably the most exciting 1-mile I have run in my life.

I felt like some emotions began to come forward.

I know that this was not a 'huge' race...I know that as in '07, Mirinda Carfrae was not here...but you know what, a win is a win and it was a tough fight for it. I always say, I do this because I love it and it fulfills me, but there is never a race I go into not planning to try to win it. No matter the competition, I want to be "my 100%" from start to finish.

I feel like I am good at not taking things for granted. So, this last mile, I really let myself think about how special this was to me. A win, finally a 'big win' for me! This was the most prize money I have won to date, and it was just so amazing to finally see the finish line and hear the crowd cheering. The minute I finished, on wobbly legs, I saw my mom and dad and gave them a huge hug. I just kept thinking, "Finally! Finally, a W-I-N!" And I have to thank my incredible parents for coming to support, my fiance Derick for being the first one I want to call to tell, and my sponsors (Team Zoot, Advanced Rehab, Karen Smith my accupuncturist, Spyder Optics, Source Endurance and Jack and Adams Bike Shop) for supporting me along this crazy journey.

I guess that this race just emphasized what I so firmly believe...that when we step on the start line, we are all gifted individuals...we are all great athletes, every one of us. But, what truely makes the difference in that good vs. great race is what goes on btwn the ears. Just as in life, often times things that are really 'worth it' are not easy to come by.

There are always going to be hard times...on the bike, it'd feel so hard then it'd feel easier...it came in waves. It is OK to succomb to things at some point, as we need to know our limits. But it is good to try to ask yourself, "Is this good hurt or bad hurt? Do you really 'want' to push through this?" The reward is often times worth that little extra effort. And even if the goal is not attained, then you likely learned something about yourself in the process.

And one final note...Never forget to thank those who help make it all possible! Noone ever gets tired of hearing that...

Thank you for reading and thanks for your support!

BSLT 70.3 & COLORADO

Swim Exit of BSLT 70.3 (Photo courtesy of Mario Cantu)

Whew, just returned from a long drive back from Bayfield, CO. We left on Saturday at about 11:00 MST and drove to Santa Fe, then on to Lubbock (because we love Lubbock so much!). We spent the night there, then pushed on to Austin today, arriving about 1:00. It was a bit sad to leave the mountains, we literally slept in a cabin right on the Los Pinos ("Pine") river which ran out of Vallecito Reservoir, and could fall asleep and wake up to the river...Derick would fish in the AM, I'd ride my bike...this area is seriously cycling heaven. Any surroundings that make me want to ride my bike more than swim or run have something pretty magical about them! We had an incredible week of good company, good food, good drink and incredible outdoor activity...I have to say despite being sad to have to leave, I do feel a bit invigorated...and realize that sooner or later, I will end up in a mountain town.

Now on to the race, which seems forever-ago! I did Buffalo Springs 70.3 last Sunday, June 29th. I was feeling quite mediocre going into this race. It seemed that my quads were incredibly 'heavy' feeling for the past couple of weeks, as if I was struggling to fully recover from any workouts. However, I just chalked it up to the heat and tried to really rest up the 2-3 days going into the race. We arrived in beautiful Lubbock on Friday evening, and got a great green chile chicken pizza at Orlandos. Needless to day, it tasted great but kept me in the bathroom most of Saturday...note to self, do not eat this pre-race night. :) Saturday included the typical, sleep in, big breakfast, short (30-minute) bike ride, and a movie in the hotel room! "27 Dresses". Um...a good brainless watch, but terribly predictable. The pre-race meeting was at 3:00, whereby Mike Greer told us all about the creatures we may encounter on race day, the lead car which is a Miller Lite car (was Bud Light but they jumped ship, and well doesn't really matter b/c Mike is a Coors Lite guy...). NOTE: This race has a ton of CHARACTER!! Mike and Marti seriously love to put on races and if you think of a guy who would NOT be a race director, it would be Mike...a Harley-driving west Texan. However, I absolutely love this about him and the race in general. There were a few good laughs in the meeting and the 'atmosphere' felt pretty light, which is how it should be.

On to race day! Early 4:00 am wake up call...NOTE: The past 2 races (this and Eagleman), I have had a dream the night before the race of me 'seemlessly' going through the race...granted, I am usually running through obstacles and very strange courses, but I am smiling, and feeling light, strong and confident...this has never happened to me in all of my years of competing! Interesting.... We got to Buffalo Springs Lake with plenty of time to spare, set up transition and meandered to swim start. It was a chilly race morning with dark clouds looming overhead...could be an interesting day of weather! We waited until about 6:45 or so (6:30 start time), and suddenly as we were all moving towards the water, we heard what sounded like a dying animal...that was GO! It was crazy! I saw Brandon Marsh's big shoulders in front of me start running, so I took off! Some were running along the shore, some swimming...then around the bend, they started running on shore AGAIN! I was trying to swim but in that second run, realized, "I should probably be running, too." We finally got to swimming and I felt I had lost a ton of time, but what could I do now except swim? I did my typical 'work my way up' to some swimmers far ahead of me by the end, and came out feeling good but having not a CLUE where I was in the mix...I guess I was the 2nd woman out of the swim after Joanna Zeiger, but beat 'out of' transition by Mirinda Carfrae.

The bike was flat out TOUGH. Windy and rainy. I felt strong but my power was pretty low, however I just tried to stay positive and keep on chugging away. I love this course because there are some killer hills, and while I do not climb like I used to in CO, I still feel like I come off of hillier courses feeling better than flats. I was passed by a few but again tried to stay positive, knowing that a 'fast' bike split was not in the cards, but trying to come off in a decent position to run some people down. I was not a happy camper out there, but it was tough and I do like challenging courses...and, this weather (cool and rainy) was great to run in!

Into T2, I was stoked to get off my bike. :) The first 1/2 mile of the run felt very hard, the legs felt spent, but I was pushing a pretty solid pace. I heard my friend Katie White yell out some encouragement just a mile in, which was so nice and a good surprise as I did know she was out there racing! I have to say, I feel like I managed 'pace control' incredibly well today. Just as I started to feel good and want to pick it up, I'd hold back...this being because we have 3 very tough hills on the way out, and then a 1.5 mile flat stretch before the turnaround...if there were ever a mentally tough course, this is it. It was great. :) I believe for the first time ever, my run split was a dead-on EVEN SPLIT from first to second half...6:35 pace. I knew I was in 4th the last few miles, but I had seen a pretty strong woman running behind me. But, I knew I was pushing at my limit so I just stayed controlled. Another great thing about this race, the 'finish' line appears out of nowhere! You cannot see it until it is about 200 meters in front of you! Once I saw it, I felt a sigh of relief knowing that I soon could stop. I was 4th woman in 4:37, a bit faster than last year, but on a considerable tougher day (in my opinion). I was able to manage a 1:26 run split which I was very psyched about! The bike split was a bit mediocre, but I am not worried about that...it will come.

All in all I was pleased with this race! I 'wanted' to be Top 3, I 'wanted' to do a 4:30 or faster, however today this was the best I had in me and this is all I can ask for. I feel like I am moving forward step by step, and I find myself chomping at the bit for each and every 'next race'. Thank you so much to Derick (my fiance) for coming along and being great support, we chilled out so much on Saturday and it was just what I needed (and we can not talk about triathlon which makes pre-race so much more pleasant). Also thanks much to all of my supporters, Team Zoot, Spyder Optics, Jack and Adams in Austin, AJ Zelinski at Advanced Rehab for keeping me healthy and of course my family and friends. Also a huge congrats to all of the other fellow Austin-ites out there racing today! Terra Castro had a great day finishing 8th, Brandon Marsh was 5th among the men and miss Angie Ballentine who came back as a mommy to race her first 1/2 IM today since mommy-hood (I believe?). Pat Evoe had a great race, coming off a heavy training weekend to finish Top 10 among the pros as well. And, Brad Miller and Billy Harlee also had great races (huge PR for Billy!). It is so fun to see all of our Austin friends at this race.

Next up is Spirit of Racine Triathlon in Racine, Wisconsin on July 20th. Please do not tell anyone about this race as I'd like to finish in the top 2. :) Just kidding...the better the competition, the better the race. Thank ya'll for reading and Happy 4th of July!

KMH

Quick Update from Durango....

I am currently in Bayfield, CO (just outside of Durango) for the week, visiting my aunt, uncle and cousins. Derick and I decided to 'trek on' from Lubbock Sunday, to Santa Fe, NM on Monday and Durango on Tuesday. It is incredible down here, this morning we rode our bikes for about 30 miles, going around Lemon Reservoir then up to Vallecito Reservoir. Truely a cycling paradise.

Buffalo Springs Lake Triathlon (70.3) was on Sunday, talk about a TOUGH DAY! I will write up a bit more upon my return, but I was pleased with the day...it was dark and overcast with a definite threat of rain from the start, and soon onto the bike course, the winds picked up and then some spitting rain...we never got dumped on, but it was enough to make the descents a bit nerve-wracking and the winds just seemed relentless. I got frustrated a few times but tried to stay positive, throwing out any 'time goals' for my bike split...I was able to come off the bike pretty tired but still positive and ready to try to run myself into a better position. I believe I came off in 7th and finished in 4th, so all in all a successful day. On the run, I kept saying "Steady, Steady, Steady..." It is very easy to pick up the pace on the downhills, but I saw that the top 3 women were well ahead so I did not want to blow up. It was so nice to have Derick and many other friends out there, both racing and cheering...This course is no joke and I have to say the past 2 years I think the weather has been 'perfect'...while the cool day made it great, the wind and rain made the bike leg a challenge and I loved it because it forces you to mentally stay in the game! Thanks to Mike and Marti Greer for putting on a great race...more updates in a few days. In the meantime, thanks ya'll for reading and all of your support, and have a great 4th of July!
Ooh, the afternoon storms are blowing in...so exciting.
KMH :)

Be the Best Version of Y-O-U.

I thought of this concept today in my swim. Especially in this crazy world of triathlon, I think that we end up comparing ourselves to others more than we know we 'should'. This is something I do and I try so hard not to do...but inevitably, I find it happen more often than I'd prefer. Let's just think about the concept. We see someone else do very well in something. Suddenly we may feel that we actually did 'even worse', or we then compare ourself to this 'gold standard' and find that our confidence takes a bit of a nosedive. (Am I alone here? I sure hope not, or I am talking to a wall!) The flip side to doing this is, how does what someone else does have any bearing on what I myself do? Well, logically...it doesn't. So, therefore, if I am only comparing ME to ME then it seems I can always be realistic, honest with myself and on a continual quest for self-improvement. Problem solved.

We all have insecurities of some sort, I think it is just human nature. There is the very rare triathlete who just 'has it all' in terms of strengths (think Emma Snowsill...that girl is an animal across the board! In her case, big things do come in small packages!)...so I find this is a blessing of the sport, we all have someplace to always be striving to be better. I have always considered myself a very hard-worker. Grades never came easy, and while some may think I am 'blessed' with athletic talent, I beg to differ...I have not moved since I exited my mothers womb. I cannot sit still for the life of me, and since I was 4 years old I have been actively involved in sport. This does not make me special in any way, just set me up to be a lifelong 'athlete'. Seemingly never seeing things 'come easily' I think has been a great thing. I am used to hard work, and I try to see a positive in every failure that comes my way. I try to ride the highs as well as I can, and just take it all in...likewise, while the lows just suck...I try to use them to my advantage and figure out how they can make me stronger.

I don't want to get too (much more) long-winded...but I think that the mantra "Be the best version of ME" is a good one to remind yourself of. In the end of this big long journey we call life, noone is really going to care what place you finished, or what your best time was...but the kind of footprint you leave on the earth and in the eyes of those you encounter will be remembered. So, (and I will tell myself this as well), be easier on yourself...remember to pat yourself on the back a little more often, enjoy the challenges and simply be the best YOU possible.

Know When to Hold 'em...Know when to Fold 'em

Sometimes, only 'we' know when enough is enough. Actually, it should always be 'we' who know that more than anyone else, but it is easy to ask opinions, and try to draw on others advice to know what choices to make. I try to make my own decisions in most things I do, and when it comes to training, I make most all of them. Derick is my 'sounding board' and while in past years asking his advice often led to an argument, these days, I can take it much more reasonably...well, sometimes I take it, others I just do my thing.

I had a nice week last week, and on Tuesday night headed out to the Jack and Adams 3rd summer Splash and Dash at the Pure Austin Quarry up in north Austin. This is such a fun time, I did the first one and had to skip #2 having just competed 2 days prior to it. It may not sound like much, but a 750-meter swim followed by a 3k run can really wear you out! I just use it as a short, hard swim/run workout...I even did a 1k run before and after it, so I ran 5k total. I was the first woman, as James Bonney was just too fast to catch on the run...but in this weather (6:00 PM, was probably about 95-100 degrees), your limits are somewhat set by the conditions, not by your aggressiveness...meaning, I was only going to go 'so' hard on that run. But, a fun time had by all and how cool...we go compete for 20 minutes and then hang out for 2 hours! Fun times.

I found that on Wednesday and Thursday, for some reason, the hard day of training Tuesday really stuck with me and the feeling of 'heavy' in my legs/quads just did not want to let up. I was planning to do the Lake Pflugerville Triathlon on Sunday (today), however after a hilly ride with Derick on Saturday, I had to say...no way. I even returned my race back to J&A's, so that if someone else wanted to race they could. I know it is not a big deal, but this was a 'team race' and they had divided everyone into 3 teams of 8. I was on Team Zane (Castro), and there was also Team Drew (Wolff) and Team Jack (the 'J' of J&A's). I knew it'd be a fun time, but I KNEW that after riding 3 hours on hills, my quads were just toast. I made a good call, and this morning, after sleeping until 8:30, I managed a 9-mile run and was very surprised at some of my mile splits! Hopefully that means good things to come. It sucked to have to pull out of the race, but I think it was by far a smart decision on my part.

BIG NEWS on the Source Endurance "Racing Front"...Saturday was the Austin AT&T Downtown Crit...a HUGE bike race that brings in the names such as Tyler Hamilton, Freddie Rodriguez (supposedly?) and a few others...this thing kicks off at 2:00 downtown and runs 'til about 9:30. I headed down there with Derick at about 4:30 to watch one of his athletes race, and I have to give up props to PAUL HURDLOW who was 4th in the Cat 4&5 race and looked INCREDIBLE out there! This guy loves to ride his bike and works his ass off, so he deserved the result. Hot on his heels was SE's Marketing Man Joe LaFico, who WON the Mens Cat 1,2,3 race...in incredible fashion. We all watched this from the top of Six ("Lance's Bar" downtown), and we could see 1/2 of the race from here. LaFico really sat in the whole time until the end, working his way up and finally going for it. Bike racing is not only about the strongest person, but so much about tactics...these guys really showed it. BUT WAIT! Not done yet. Today was another crit in which (Derick raced too but thank God he was safe and sat up @ the end, as to avoid the sketchiness of the finish and help keep me more sane) Stefan Rothe of SE also took a win, beating Tyler Hamilton in a sprint finish of the mens pro race! I believe Ian Dille was second, as well? WAY TO GO GUYS!

I have to say, watching this bike racing really makes me feel like a complete pansy with what I do...but hey we all have our 'thing', they revel in bike racing, I thrive on slow, steady pain for 4+ hours. It's all a bit insane, but we just keep on comin' back for more...

Have a great week & thank you for reading. Next up is Buffalo Springs next weekend followed by a trip to Santa Fe, NM and then Durango, CO...VACATION!!!

Eagleman 70.3...A Little Breakthrough

Well I just returned from Cambridge, Maryland yesterday to what feels like almost 'comfortable' weather conditions by comparison. Who would imagine in Maryland it could be so hot and humid? I guess it is just so far NORTH of Austin, I'd thought it just couldnt' be that hot...boy was I proven wrong! I have a full story about the weekend on my website, but I'll give a quick run-down of the weekend and how the race panned out.

I only opted to do this race about 3-4 weeks ago, as I was not sure if I was really 'ready' to do a half-ironman quite yet. But I figured, go out, see where I am at and take it from there. Plus, financially it was feasible as the Baltimore airport is pretty reasonable to fly into. So, I talked my parents in to meeting me there (my dad has a cousin in Annapolis, MD who we stayed with) and we were off.

The race was on Sunday (June 8th) and we all arrived on Thursday evening, with plenty of time to get situated and get in to Cambridge on Friday. I felt very relaxed the whole time, which I believe was in part due to the fact that I had had some big 'emotional' things going on the week prior which somewhat wore me out...however, that being said I somehow found the 'right place' in my mindset, and I think this allowed me to say, "Enjoy the weekend with the family, stay relaxed and just go out and race." I try to simplify things as much as possible especially if it is a bigger race, as to alleviate nerves.

Sunday AM we awoke to mid/upper 70's and what felt like 90% humidity...seeing that we were in the swamp lands, it probably was 90% humidity. The gun went off promptly at 6:45 and we were off, making our way through the Choptank River. Swim was uneventful, though I had to work my way through a few people at the start, I found VERY clear water for the bulk of this swim and was really in my own little world as there was noone near me for most of it. Unfortunately 2 women (Dede Griesbauer and Joanna Zeiger) had taken off, and had 1-2 minutes on me when I exited...my dad told me '3rd woman' in transition, a bit disappointing but hey, what can you do but keep on going. That is what I told myself, I could not get 'too comfortable'.

I was off on my new Scott Contessa. The bike was oddly enough a rather quick 56-mile ride for me today, not in that I was FAST but moreso that it just did not feel long...I am often times SO anxious to be off the bike by about mile 40, but today I just kept chugging along, never to be passed by ANY WOMEN...a FIRST for me! I down my whole gel flask (which had 5 gels in it, about 550 calories and 1000 mg Sodium) with no problem and even had to go pee on the run. So, I guess you could say that I really nailed my nutrition.

Upon bike exit, I found I was still in third...sweet! Though the conditions were extremely tough by now and I knew the run would not be easy, I also knew that this is a strength so use it for all it's worth. I took off with my green Zoot shoes (matching my new green Zoot racing outfit), J&A's visor, and my stock of gels to hear the announcer say, "There goes Kim Loeffler! She is looking smooth and comfortable..." Whatever. I just laughed to myself.

Without a doubt this was mentally one of the toughest 13.1 miles I have ever run. I started off very conservatively, knowing that going too hard could result in a DNF. I went through a few 'waves' of feeling good/bad, one of the 'goods' being between miles 4-6 before the run turnaround. I think the vast amounts of ice I was dumping down my suit helped a lot, as well as the water-stocked aid stations. I also took 4 gels on this run, knowing I needed the sodium and simply the calories (again...never felt bloated or really hungry!). From miles 7-10, I struggled...I honestly thought my pace was down to about 8-min/mile, but I kept plugging along as I was being told I was closing in on 2nd place. The thing about a day like today was that, you just could NOT push harder...I knew that if I got greedy and tried to do that, I could risk having to drop out...or I could stay WITHIN MYSELF, strong but controlled and hang on to 3rd. With $3000 up for 3rd, I opted for strong and steady. It paid off as I finally saw the yellow flags about 1/2 mile ahead lining the finish chute.

All I can say is, it felt damn good to finish knowing I had securely gotten 3rd (and come close to 2nd!). My parents were there, along with a few friends as well and the announcer finally knew my name by the time I finished (I knew he would!). Thank you to my sponsors (Team Zoot, Scott, Spyder Optics, Advanced Rehabilitation, Jack and Adams) and of course my parents for making the trip to support me...as well as my fiance Derick who was in South Carolina with his family, racing as well, for all of his constant support and guidance. As I alluded to in the beginning, I approached this race a bit unsure of what to expect, but I think that having gone through some 'life things' the week prior helped me straighten a lot out and I was able to somehow find great clarity in my purpose here at this race. I felt strong, and I felt like I belonged among the top 3. (I will post pics as soon as I receive them! Um...anyone have any pictures from the event?)

P.S. Check out a short mention of the race as written in Inside Triathlon!

New Plan & Feeling Better...

Wow, the heat has hit Austin and has hit hard! Welcome summer. Everyone has been saying the past week they've been feeling groggy, sluggish, times are a bit off, etc...but, it's OK! (I have to tell myself this too). The humidity and heat are a killer especially the first few weeks (as if I have 'that' much experience here!)...but let your body adapt, and don't be too hard on yourself. The pace on the run may have to give a little (especially the hard efforts) and you may be feeling sluggish but do the work, and then focus on recovery...getting out of the heat, ice-bathing if needed and hydrating and fueling well. That's my 2 cents on that. :)

Despite feeling like I was most definitely getting sick last week (immediately after Skeese Greets), I think that I have kept this 'at bay' thanks to a lot of sleep and a small decrease in training. The scratchy throat, congested cough and mild sinus pressure are subsiding so that is encouraging. I also have to be extremely careful with our adorable little cat, Shackleton:

as well he is a cat and he carries cat allergies. I figured out that he is probably adding to my stuffiness, because with the heat he is shedding more. Poor little allergy-furball. So, I am trying to keep him off the pillows, out of the bedroom and well just not kiss him as much. Which is tough.

So...moving on to the 'new plan'. I opted to do Eagleman 70.3 in 2 weeks! This is pretty exciting as it is an entirely new race for me. I was able to talk my parents into meeting me there, which works out well as my dad has a cousin in Annapolis, MD. We are all set and good to go, it could be a bit of a wake-up call as I have not ridden a 'ton' the past few months but I feel good about the strides I have made the past few weeks with cycling and overall fitness. I figure this will be a good 'see where I am at' kind of race. And the fact that it is flat will be nice, as I can really settle in on the new Scott Contessa and feel her out. The following race will be Buffalo Springs on June 29th, which is much hillier, so I'll definitely have my work cut out for me in Cambridge, MD in that I'll be spending lots of time in the aero position. I have yet to be truely comfortable (but, are any of us?) so hopefully I can stay down and low the majority of the ride...

In other news today was Capital of Texas Triathlon, just down the hill from us. I opted to sit this one out and spectate. Reasons...not quite sure you want me to get into that but if you ask me I will tell you. Sometimes things are just best left to rest...moreso because those involved are just not worth my time and energy. All in all I am kind of glad I was not 'tempted' to race because I put together a great string of 3 days of longer training (thanks to Mel for a great ride Saturday!) and the R&R has done me well. But to everyone out there, great job...it did not look easy and ya'll battled the heat and humidity like champs. Special congrats to Reem Khashou and Nick Bannon, both SE athletes...you guys both looked great out there! Also nice job to Andrea Fisher on her win, and Brandon Marsh and James Cotter taking 2 & 3 on the mens side. We had the results in the Source Endurance tent which was very cool! Everyone was able to print up their results and walk away with them.

So that is the weekend thus far...Derick is dozing on the bed (with Shackleton, how cute) as he was out there at the race from about 7:00-2:00. He deserves a nap. We'll head off to a little Memorial Day weekend BBQ in a bit...I hope you all have a happy and safe holiday weekend, try to take some down time! Speaking of which...I need to get to addressing wedding invites...

Thanks for reading!