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. ;)