Toyota Cup Championship Race-Dallas, TX

My final race of my 2010 season was spent just outside of Dallas in Rockwall, TX. It was a really nice area. I had never been to Texas before so it was fun to get to see a little bit of such a big state! Although, my trip was very short...flew in, raced, and flew home the same day so I wouldn't miss work! Wowee. I really didn't have ideal travel conditions as I arrived in Dallas at 1:00 a.m. (the day before the race). That was tough! Thanks to my husband though, who drove an hour from the airport to the hotel in the middle of the night and let me sleep! Let's just say the whole trip there was quite the adventure. I just tried to roll with the punches...ya know? Anyway, the race was fun. The pros went of first thing in the morning, so that meant cool weather! That was so nice since my last few races had been in the 90s! Here's how my race broke down. I had an interesting swim, I got out with a good start, but my feet were yanked on and I had gotten plundered by another swimmer. These two events really threw me off. I had never had either of these things happen in a triathlon before. Were we playing water polo here or what? So, I didn't have the best swim...it actually felt too easy as I felt fairly fresh exiting the water. Since my swim was not up to par, the lead group got away and got a big lead on the bike. I had a fairly strong bike, but didn't gain any ground as the main group was full of power houses up ahead. I tried to stay in the game as I new there were still some individuals behind me yet. I ended up loosing one spot on the bike. The run was very, very hilly coming out of transition. It felt like I wasn't moving as the hill was so steep...at least it seemed that way coming off the bike. I ended up having a solid run, my best of the season. I hung in there and didn't back down despite being toward the back of the "pack." I felt good about my performance, but knew there was more I could have gained in the swim. This race was definately a learning experience for the swim. I was also challenged to not give up even if you are toward the back in a race. You are always racing somebody! I ended up 11th in the pros in a very strong field. I would recommend this race to anyone who qualifies!!

Running in the blazing heat in Chicago

Chicago Triathlon

Another hot hot race day in Chicago, whew! This time I handled the heat much better than I did at the Memphis in May tri. I just had to start out with saying that. :) Chicago Triathlon was my first pro race-and let me tell you about it!! We went off at noon, which was very different compared to my usual early morning start times. The start at noon was nice because I didn't have to get up at the crack of dawn, but it did mean racing in the brutal heat of 94 degrees! So I prepared as best as I could by drinking electrolytes early on in the morning and the day before too. However, it was still difficult for me to stay hydrated enough through the race as my water bottles that once were full of ice turnned into warm water by the time I was on the bike. eww. Anyway, the swim was a little crazy this time as I seemed to have gotten "tangled up" with a few other girls, which made it kind of hard to find my groove. I did my best to settle in once we spread out a bit, but for some reason this swim didn't feel too good. I was a little dissapointed with how it went, but now I know what to expect for next time. There were some really quick swimmers in the field! I didn't feel great coming out of the water, but was ready to see what I had for the bike. I felt decent, but could tell the wind was picking up on the way back. This made it tougher on the legs right before the run. I found myself really focusing on making sure I was following the stagger rule (you can't ever be directly behind and in the same "line" as the person in front of you) since this was new to me. After putting in a solid effort on the bike and passing 1-2 girls (but also got passed later on), I was anticipating the run. Of course the heat was on my mind! I made for a quick transition and set out on the run. I could tell it was going to be a battle with the heat, but I made sure to take in as much water as I could at each aid station...this still was not enough though. I pushed the run as best as I could and felt like I stayed pretty solid/consistent until the very last little stretch before the finish. It was at this point that I was feeling a bit...over-heated. I made it to the finish though and came in 9th place. I was happy with this as I knew the heat was a tough factor and because there was a tough field of women. My times were pretty far off my usual performace, but hey...new experience with many new variables to account for. I had fun and look forward to my next pro experience, which will be my first draft legal race in Tuscaloosa, AL for USAT nationals. Oh and I forgot to mention that I had my first drug testing experience after the race too. Fun fun! I have to thank all of my family and friends for coming to cheer at Chicago too...what a great support group. This helped make my first pro race great!

Millenium Triathlon

On Saturday, I raced a sprint triathlon in the grandville, MI area. It was a ton of fun. It was great to see so many familiar faces and new triathletes come out! I don't do many sprint triathlons as I tend to be a bit more comfortable with a little longer race. Plus, the swim is so short! haha. I like to get out there in the swim! So I knew I had to really pull on the bike and run since I wasn't going to have as much time to settle in the swim. Anyway, the race went well. I felt strong and pretty solid even after coming off a week of vacation where I did lighter training and then came back for a more intense week the week of the race. During the swim, I had to try and chase down one lady in the begining, but then tried to find a groove for a short distance. I came out of the water in first, but Tony Musto was close behind. I knew she would be right there on the bike too, which she was. :) I had a solid bike and felt good with how I was able to push. I was passed with about 2-3 miles to go, but then was able to take the run and finished the first female by just under 3 minutes. I felt like I had a good kick on my run, which was a new feeling to me as I have been really working to improve my running form. I was quite excited with the win as there are some tough ladies around the area here. Friend, jimi Minnema, won overall...he sure is speedy! Anyway, the race had a nice course and it was pretty flat. My husband, Ross, was the swim course coordinator so it was pretty fun to hear him over the megaphone sending us off for the start. Now I have a couple intense training weeks coming up then it is off to the Chicago Triathlon on
August 28th!

swimming!

Lifetime Fitness Triathlon

What a weekend in Minneapolis! Definately one to remember for a lifetime...haha. ;) Anyway, let me share a little run down of the course and race. The water was 80 degrees so it was not wetsuit legal. Being a swimmer, I was okay with this. The bike portion was really fun with a lot of tricky sharp turns. It sure kept things interesting, you had to remain focused for sure! Some parts of the course had rough road. However, I had no problems and was happy with how my Rolf Prima race wheels handled such a course along with my specialized bike that handled well. The run was 2 loops, which I liked. This actually made the run go by pretty quickly. Oh and the race was run very well; it was organized, and the volunteers were so helpful too. This is always a plus! Anyway, my race went well! I ended up being the first swimmer out of the water for the elite amateurs, which was so cool! I enjoyed myself on the bike, but was pushing pretty hard. My legs didn't feel super great for the run, however. For some reason I didn't have a ton to push with. On the bike, I made sure to hydrate well with water, Amino Vital, and enduralytes, which kept me going through the entire race. (I feel I have a much better control on my nutrition over my past few races. Although, I am still figuring out the best balance of hydration and carbs). During the run, I was passed by one girl, to find out later her name was Tammi and was the 2nd place finisher. I thought there were several other girls ahead of me too so as I crossed the finish line, I thought I was in 6th place. I must have seen see some of the pros ahead who left earlier...but I didn't realize this at the time, so it ended up I was in 3rd! I guess I couldn't keep track well. :) I was so excited as this meant I qualified for my pro card! I couldn't believe it. I have been wanting to achieve this and it happened. What a blessing, praise God! I also qualified to race at the Toyota Cup Championships in Dallas, Tx. How cool! I am excited to see what doors open next. What a fun weekend! A great race, a chance to hang out with very fun friends, and celebrate my 2 year anniversary with Ross over a triathlon. ;)

Johan's Trifest

On Saturday, June 19, I competed in a local olympic distance triathlon in Hopkins, MI. I competed in this triathlon last year as well. Coming of the race in Iowa, I didn't rest for Johan's and had a solid training week the week before. Therefore, the morning of the race, I had to put aside the fact that I was feeling more tired than usual for races. It was a great triathlon to be at as family and friends were able to come and cheer. Also, it was fun to race with many of the great triathletes from the area. Anyway, I decided to wear my Xterra vector pro x2 sleeveless wetsuit again. I had the fastest swim split, which set me up for a solid bike. I improved my bike split by several minutes from last year, even on a hilly and windy course. The bike is usually my weakest link, but not this time! I was able to hold a strong steady pace to continue in the lead. Since the course was windy, I was glad that I had my Lazer aero helmet along with my Rolf Prima race wheels. These are two components that I have not raced with before, but know in addition to my training that they have been helping in my improved bike performances. Coming into the run, I was feeling controlled, but didn't have a ton of "pop." I stayed controlled and had a solid run despite feeling fatigued from a good training week. I ended up winning the race, which was very exciting! There are some tough local competitors in the West Michigan area! I had fun during the race and enjoyed being able to race while having my family there...my 1 and 3 year old nephews were there to cheer my on. How fun! Now I am looking forward to preparing for my next race-Lifetime Fitness in Minneapolis.

Hyvee Triathlon

After my event in Memphis, I was ready to race again in Des Moines, Iowa on June 13. I had planned my nutrition wisely and practiced the weeks before with electrolyte intake as it was predicted to be hot in Iowa. The morning of the race, a big storm system was racing in and 20 minutes before the race start, the race was changed to a sprint distance tri in order to allow everyone to get in and out of the water quickly. A sprint distance tri is definately not to my advantage, especially with being a swimmer. I like to have a longer swim of course! :) Anyway, I gave it what I had with the sudden change of plans. With a full belly from preparing for a longer race, I took off in the swim. I had a steady swim, being second out of the water. I took off on the bike and had a steady ride and run. I ended up placing 6th overall in the elite amateur divison. I had a strong race considering the quick change in plan! It was so neat to be at the Hyvee triathlon eventhough the race wasn't what I had expected to be. The venue was great with the blue carpets laid out for the ITU race that took place in the afternoon. It was great to watch and watching inspired me to keep on training hard in hopes to race professionally someday! It was so neat to see the different pros racing in person and to see how hard they push during their race. Awesome!

Memphis May Triathlon

May 23, 2010 was my first tri of the season. I was very excited to begin racing after a long winter of the most intense training I have ever done! My husband and I left fair weathered Michigan a few days before the race to find Memphis to be steamin hot! We were in awe of the nice weather. Anyway, not having much time to adjust to the heat (90s compared to 60s in MI), we prepared the best we could. The race was a time trial start where competitors left 3 seconds apart. During the race, I wore my XTERRA Vector Pro X2 Sleeveless wetsuit, which worked great for me as I had my best swim ever, putting me in the top 3 going into the bike. It was probably even a little warm for a wetsuit looking back on the race. The bike portion was flat and quick. I felt great on the bike and was able to push hard. I ended up have my fastest bike split ever as well. This race was the first opportunity I had to compete on my new race wheels from Rolf Prima. As I began the run, the heat was rising in Memphis from an already hot temperature to begin with. I took off hard, but the heat was tough to compete with. I was pushing really hard during the run and believed I had hydrated well on the bike. However, not realizing how my physical condition was changing in the race, with 400 yards to go, I ended up collapsing and having a heat stroke and had to be carried away to the medical tent. This was a very scarey learning experience for me. I have had to learn to adjust my electrolyte intake for the extreme heat conditions that I may run into. While I unfortunatly didn't get a chance to finish the race, based off of my time after the swim and bike to run transition, I was in first. Apparantley though, this wasn't my day to shine! So chalk it up to a lesson learned in Memphis. I am getting ready for my next big races!