Oceanside 70.3

HIGHLIGHTS

- I told my brothers and coach that I wanted to hit a :35 swim, 2:40 bike, and 1:40 run. Outcome: 35, 2:43, 1:37 = 5:01 overall and PR

- I told my coach that my teammate and I would try for 1st and 2nd in our age group, we took 2nd and 3rd! So incredibly proud of being next to one of the best triathletes/people I know on the podium, Ola is a huge inspiration to me and she had an incredible race breaking 5 hours!

- Ola Besser and I qualified for Ironman 70.3 World Championship

RACE DAY

- 3 am wakeup and bike to T1/T2

- nearly crashed on my bike attempting an uphill climb to T2

- didn't stop shivering until the start of the race

- spent an hour in T1 tucked in a ball inside my sweatshirt for heat

- googled 'How to bike up a hill' because I was terrified for the 14% grade after having to walk up a 12% at IRONMAN FRANCE

- started the swim and halfway I was convinced I had swam in a circle

- was blinded by the rising sun for the second half of the swim

- slow T1 due to struggling packing up my wetsuit and getting my shoes clipped in

- felt so at home on my bike and realized all the 3am bike trainer workouts were worth the sleep deprivation/exhaustion

- thoroughly enjoyed the spectacular ocean views and biking on a military base

- hit a rough patch and thought, oh to bike this for 112 miles in NZ...

- loved that we had to wear bibs so I could cheer for every competitor on course by name

- took it easy in anticipation for the hills

- approached the first hill, said a long prayer and dropped all gears to tackle it

- was amazed that I passed every person on the hill

- shouted with joy at the peak, and glanced at the word "relentless" written on my arm

- got complimented by a speedy female on crushing the hill only to reply that Miami hill training is fantastic

- had the song line "Glory, Glory, Glory to the Highest" stuck in my head all race

- got frustrated by some no pass zones

- tackled the 2nd major hill and marveled at how easy it was compared to the first

- continued to take it relatively easy in preparation for a hilly run

- started the run feeling strong and determined

- saw my amazing cheering section!! Marijo Murphy Clemons

- never looked at my watch, just ran what felt comfortable

- dealt with each hill as it came, knowing I just needed to mentally defeat them

- realized how short 13.1 miles is compared to a marathon

- reflected on how nice it would be to spectate at my next 2 races

- loved the run and the joy of knowing I could overcome my fears

- rushed to the chocolate milk tent immediately upon finishing to chug 3 containers...

- PRed, no regrets, sheer joy

LESSONS LEARNED

- I only drank 24 oz on the bike and ate 2 clif shot bloks, perfect strategy to kill the run

- I now know how to bike hills and to have high cadence using my small ring

- Racing with a teammate is the best motivation ever

- I finally raced my race and that is a wonderful feeling

Thank you so much to all of my wonderful Wolfpacktri teammates and family, so grateful to you all for pushing me every day to be my best and to conquer every obstacle. I couldn't have imagined a better debut 70.3 into the 25-29 age group. I can't wait to return to the IM 70.3 WC and redeem myself from last year. Thanks to our sponsors, Nuun Hydration, trivillage.com, iRun and Hector Arana, Andreas Ultrabikexstudio, and SeeMeInTheDark.com. You all are amazing and set us up for success in every way. 2014 is an incredible year so far...and it only gets better from here.