Humbling…The word for my first ‘pro’ race. A 6:25am start, 35 minutes before everyone else; with that in mind, Brandon and I figured I would be onto the 2nd loop of the swim before the age group field started. Not quite! The scariest picture I have ever seen in a race was of 2000+ people charging into the water racing to the first swim marker, the one I was ‘slowly’ getting to. Needless to say, I got swallowed up in the mass, I thought I was going to drown; not a pretty sight. Panic set in, yes panic, I had to do my own self calming and keep moving forward in order to get to the end of my 2nd loop and get out! It felt like forever. Finally I got out of the water, not impressed by my swim time but I survived and what was done was done, it was now time to ride.
The bike course is beautiful; flats, hills and fantastic scenery and the weather a perfect day. Being near the front of the race was great, roads were quiet and it was like you had your ‘own’ fans, they made you ‘feel like’ a celebrity! Fortunately the ride was uneventful; I held my watts and effort and managed to stay ahead of the age group guys until the 2nd loop. I saw Brandon three times on the course, we just missed each other at a turn on the first loop but since he was catching me we knew we would get that 3rd spotting! He looked good, I was happy about that! Unfortunately shortly after that Brandon got a flat, but he did a speedy tubular change and was back on the road within 3min; I found this out later.
Out of transition and onto the run path my quads were ‘twingy’ they didn’t cramp but they were on the verge. Time for salt and water 1 mile later they were back on track. It’s amazing how ‘speedy’ you can be out of transition BUT holding your predetermined pace is the key to a successful IM run. I went out too fast, dialled my pace back right away and worked at holding on. My first half was good but I fell off the pace in the second half. My stomach was ‘delicate’ and I had to manage it every step of the way. It was a hot day but quite frankly I enjoyed the warmth. My motto for the run was ‘steady Freddy’ and ‘mind over matter’. When it got harder to hold the pace I just keep repeating these words to keep me on track. The motivation you get when you are on the 2nd loop is awesome, in your mind you are ‘almost home’ and you can hold on to get there. I saw Brandon a few times, and each time he was closer, which meant he was running faster than me ‘finally’, he looked like he was a having a good day! I also saw Lowell who was ‘flying’ and Leslie starting her first loop with a smile! It’s great to see familiar faces; it truly does pass the time!
I finished just ahead of Brandon, although his overall time was faster than mine. It was awesome to be there waiting for him. He had a great day, despite a clobber in the head by a kayak paddle and a flat on the bike, he ran himself into 11th place and a Kona spot. Perfect!
The pro race was humbling and at times I felt I didn’t belong. I didn’t have the day I would have liked but I knew stepping up to the pro ranks would be a challenge and this is what I wanted. I am thrilled that I ran myself into 10th place but that’s just the start. The women are fast and it is a pleasure to have the opportunity to race with and near them. I look forward to my next pro race and the hard work ahead!
Race Splits:
Swim – 1:09
T1 – 3:15
Bike – 5:38
T2 – 1:35
Run – 3:41
Total = 10:34