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.