I used to live in Austin for training so I was excited when I decided to do this race after completing Rev3 South Carolina. I was feeling great coming off of that race and wanted to keep up the good racing vibe.
Race day was like most others. I got there early, had time to warm up, and get calm. I have to say the swim felt like one of my worst of the season. Right at the gun I got smashed between two girls and held back a second, then felt like I just kept swallowing tons of water and couldn't get under control. But to my surprise my time was about two minutes faster than normal....so who knows. Guess going in without expectations is always good, and sometimes you'll do even better. I was pretty happy about that. As I exited the water there were some of my Texas friends screaming for me and that always feels nice. The run through transition seemed long, but ya just never know.
As Im leaving T1, Steve Rakel, the dad of one of my favorite teammates, Kathy, was there cheering me on along with his wife, Michelle. He was running beside me for about half a mile down the road. It was just the best positive energy for me as I was setting out to hunt down the girls. I had a great ride. This course is a little hilly, but compared to the majority of the other races I've done this season, this one didn't seems so bad. I was really happy. I had talked to Vince at HED cycling about my wheel choice and he was spot on. Being a former Austinite and triathlete, I trusted his choice. I went with my HED Jet disc wheel in the back and my Jet 6 in the front. I flew. I would say that last 20 miles were pretty windy, but I still felt strong and focused. I passed about 5 girls on the bike.
Happy with that I set out on the run and feeling decent. I wanted to build the 3 loop course, so I didnt go out too hard off the bat. The run is pretty hilly which was a little challenge with the speed but didnt stop me from pushing up the hills. After the first loop the wind started to pick up a lot and the heat was turned up to max. It was a fight with the elements getting tougher, but I was able to set into my groove and speed it up the second lap. By the third I was getting a little tired, but kept at the pace I was at on second loop. My time wasn't my fastest but with the challenging run course and comparing to the other female pros, I am proud of my run and glad I kept present and focused during the run.
I am so happy that I got to race this event. I also had a really great time seeing my old friends and meeting some new ones. I have to say thank you to my dear friend, Vicki Ford, for being a wonderful friend, host, and crowd support. She really made this trip all possible for me. It felt a little like home.
Also thank you to Mr. and Mrs. Rakel for being my parents for the day. I couldn't believe how much they reached out to support me even though we had never met before. It was such a pleasure to met them and the energy they provided me on race day made a huge difference. Thank you for caring so much.
And of course, thank you to my sponsors who make the day possible for me. Blue Seventy, Rudy Project, and most of all HED Cycling for the super fast bike ride and guidance in making that happen.
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