August 16th, 2008Ogden, Utah
1st AG, 2nd Amateur
1st AG, 2nd Amateur
After the numerous issues leading up to the race (being sick for over a week, hospital visits to get stitched up from having sticks jammed through my leg, etc), I was ready to have a relaxed and stress free race that would be solely for training and FUN!!! When we woke up race morning, the weather was absolutely perfect, I felt as good as I could considering the situation and the fact that I was on antibiotics, but definitely ready to enjoy the day. The race was a set up as a 'point to point' so we headed to the top of the mountain to set up T2 first then back down to the reservoir to set up T1, warm up and get the show on the road.
The Swim - it was an usual situation as the water temp was just on the border for age groupers to wear wetsuits but not for the pros. Since the water was pretty warm, I wasn't really sure what to do. I didn't want to overheat, but at the same time, why not wear the wetsuit and just swim easier but go the same speed I would if I wasn't wearing it...so that's what I ended up doing. Not the best swim of my life, but I felt really good when I got out and although I had issues getting out my suit in transition, I'm happy with my decision to take it easier as it was going to be a long haul to the finish.
The Bike - up, up, up we go. The course was designed to climb from the bottom of the reservoir to the top of Snowbasin Ski Resort, then descend about 10min to the main lodge where T2 was located. On that note, there was A LOT of climbing...over 3000ft to give you a better idea. As soon as I got on the bike, I tried to stay with some of the faster girls that I knew would eventually drop me like I was standing still, but it was good for me to see where I need to be if I want to start riding like a rockstar. After a few minutes, I decided that it was not a smart thing for me to do since I was already starting to feel fatigued and just needed to go MY pace. I finished the bike going at what I felt was a solid, yet conservative pace, but knew I hadn't consumed hardly any fluids or food. My tummy just wasn't right and I just didn't want to deal with forcing anything down...I WILL NEVER DO THIS AGAIN...
The Run - Even though the final 10min of riding were downhill, my legs were still pretty smashed from all the climbing and the first 1.5miles of the run were STRAIGHT uphill and the absolute last thing my poor legs wanted to battle. At this point, I knew I was the first amateur and all I needed to do was get through the run as efficiently as possible. From the lack of nutrition on the bike, I was starting to feel delirious and somewhat nauseated. I had a bottle of water in my hand but was so focused on just getting to the finish that I didn't even take a sip. About 3/4 through, I was feeling so smashed that I even tripped on my own foot and fell flat on my face. That's when I heard someone behind me asking me if I was okay. It was the second place female and she was running hard. I immediately got up and started running as fast as my depleted body would allow and until about 50 meters from the finish line I was on my way to another Championship win, but I was pipped at the line and ended up in second.
Lessons learned - after ending up in the med tent with severe dehydration and quite the traumatic experience (see previous post for more details), it finally dawned on me that I was a complete moron for even thinking about racing, much less putting my body through what I did in the race. I NEVER want to feel like I did when I crossed that finish line ever again. After a long chat with the coach and lots of reflection, I have a much better outlook on my health and have promised to be more honest with myself and make smarter decisions about races that are not as important as say Nationals, or Worlds. Learning is all part of the game and it's been quite the adventure this year, but I'm going to use it throughout my career as a staple for making wise decisions.
For a cool video of the race check out this link - http://www.xterra.tv/?video_id=2113
The Swim - it was an usual situation as the water temp was just on the border for age groupers to wear wetsuits but not for the pros. Since the water was pretty warm, I wasn't really sure what to do. I didn't want to overheat, but at the same time, why not wear the wetsuit and just swim easier but go the same speed I would if I wasn't wearing it...so that's what I ended up doing. Not the best swim of my life, but I felt really good when I got out and although I had issues getting out my suit in transition, I'm happy with my decision to take it easier as it was going to be a long haul to the finish.
The Bike - up, up, up we go. The course was designed to climb from the bottom of the reservoir to the top of Snowbasin Ski Resort, then descend about 10min to the main lodge where T2 was located. On that note, there was A LOT of climbing...over 3000ft to give you a better idea. As soon as I got on the bike, I tried to stay with some of the faster girls that I knew would eventually drop me like I was standing still, but it was good for me to see where I need to be if I want to start riding like a rockstar. After a few minutes, I decided that it was not a smart thing for me to do since I was already starting to feel fatigued and just needed to go MY pace. I finished the bike going at what I felt was a solid, yet conservative pace, but knew I hadn't consumed hardly any fluids or food. My tummy just wasn't right and I just didn't want to deal with forcing anything down...I WILL NEVER DO THIS AGAIN...
The Run - Even though the final 10min of riding were downhill, my legs were still pretty smashed from all the climbing and the first 1.5miles of the run were STRAIGHT uphill and the absolute last thing my poor legs wanted to battle. At this point, I knew I was the first amateur and all I needed to do was get through the run as efficiently as possible. From the lack of nutrition on the bike, I was starting to feel delirious and somewhat nauseated. I had a bottle of water in my hand but was so focused on just getting to the finish that I didn't even take a sip. About 3/4 through, I was feeling so smashed that I even tripped on my own foot and fell flat on my face. That's when I heard someone behind me asking me if I was okay. It was the second place female and she was running hard. I immediately got up and started running as fast as my depleted body would allow and until about 50 meters from the finish line I was on my way to another Championship win, but I was pipped at the line and ended up in second.
Lessons learned - after ending up in the med tent with severe dehydration and quite the traumatic experience (see previous post for more details), it finally dawned on me that I was a complete moron for even thinking about racing, much less putting my body through what I did in the race. I NEVER want to feel like I did when I crossed that finish line ever again. After a long chat with the coach and lots of reflection, I have a much better outlook on my health and have promised to be more honest with myself and make smarter decisions about races that are not as important as say Nationals, or Worlds. Learning is all part of the game and it's been quite the adventure this year, but I'm going to use it throughout my career as a staple for making wise decisions.For a cool video of the race check out this link - http://www.xterra.tv/?video_id=2113
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