Hey all ( I think I have 3 followers now, pretty exciting!)-
This past weekend was epic. Junior Elite Nationals is a huge race- all the top juniors in the nation show up to get a little sweat pouring, produce some heavy breathing (racing at altitude will do that to you), and experience the pain that it requires to race against the best of the best.
Leading into the race, I was excited to be able to get in the car (rather than a plane), throw my bike on the rack (instead of having to pack it) and even better, race in a setting that I have lived in for the past year. Believe me, I remember Junior Elite Nationals last year- it consisted of a suffocation session on the swim, inexplainable fatigue on the bike, and occasional vomiting on the run. Turned out 8th, but knew that this year, I was better prepared and ready to rumble.
I am going to try to keep it short and sweet.
Pre-race day I got a solid warm up in on the bike with Team Vortex, after getting a short run done in the AM with a few race pace efforts. After riding on the course for 45 mins or so, we went to Colorado College to swim. I felt amazing in the water and after finishing my routine for the day, knew that all that was left was eating, hydrating, resting and mentally preparing for the big day. We had our race meeting at 4 pm, and prior to that I had an interview with USAT (along with two other selected athletes) and a photo shoot. I was pretty nervous for that experience, but it went well and those videos should be out on the web soon.
Race morning: Wake up was 4:45 AM (it was an early one!) I have been racing at 10-11 Am for my past few races, so waking up was quite a shock, but I hopped into the shower, turned the cold water on and was awake in no time. I arrived at the race site at 5:55 Am for the 6 AM transition open. I picked up my chip and swim cap and got everything set up in Transition. Went for a little spin on my bike to make sure everything was working well, and got the bike in the right gear for exiting t1. There were people video taping me which was a bit distracting, but I tried to stay in my bubble and get everything set up the way I am used to. I left transition with my cap and goggles (No wetsuit- the water was over 70 degrees!) and headed towards the beach to check out the swim start and get a warm up in.
The call out: After warming up for the swim, and talking with my coach about where the best place to stand was on the beach, when called out, we lined up in the order of our numbers (based on rankings.) I was called out second, number 80, and I heard Tim Yount ( the amazing race announcer) give a brief bio about me as I walked towards the spot of choice on the starting line. The nerves were kicking in, but as soon as the horn went off, I knew they would disappear and the race would be the race. Stay in the moment, make smart decisions, be safe, and of course- go HARD! At this point, all I can tell myself is to trust my training.
The swim: As soon as the horn went off, it was pure madness. We ran into the water and all that surrounded me were bodies and claws. It got violent and later on after the race, my coach told me he saw how rough it got out there and actually saw me getting beat up! Hey, it is part of racing, and a time for the toughest to get out there in front to get some clear water. At the first buoy, things calmed down a bit, I was with three other girls and could see two out in front. We came out of the water after the first loop and got to experience the ridiculously painful beach run to start our second loop. Even though I live at altitude now, the beach run was still pretty tough, but not nearly as bad as last year which consisted of a run and flop into the water for the second lap from pure exhaustion. I came out of the second lap 3rd with 2-3 other girls right with me and could see two out in front probably 10-15 secs ahead.
T1: The best word to describe this part of the race is pathetic. My coach wanted to cry as I safely mounted my bike instead of doing a full speed flying mount. I later got tortured by my teammates about how much work my mount needs. It is the little things that matter the most- because the two girls got off the front and we couldn't catch them on the bike.
Bike: The most stressful part of the race without a doubt. There were four of us in the "chase" pack with two off the front. We were 15" down going out of t1 and ended up losing another minute and a half because we couldn't organize and work as a team. I pulled about 85% of the bike portion, after trying to get the pack on the same page and trying to organize an efficient rotation of pulling. I thought about going solo on the bike because I knew I could break away from the riders I was with, but ended up staying in so I could rest a bit on the wheels of the other girls. Although there was much frustration and yelling going on during the bike, it is part of racing to experience different race situations and sometimes, people don't play fair, so you have to just forget about them and fight. We were almost caught by a pack of 12 that was working well together behind us.
T2: I came off the bike, feeling fatigued from practically a solo TT, but told myself that I had to go out hard on the run, and forget about all the anger I was having about the lack of work the pack was doing. We were 1:50 down from the two that were off the front. In a 5k, that is a lot of time.
Run: I went out of transition and was running hard. A few girls that were in my pack were right with me, but I soon broke away and was pushing hard. After the first lap of the run I was able to catch one of the two off the front, and headed into the second lap hoping to hold off some of the strong runners, with fresher legs from the pack of 12 that was behind us. The run was painful, legs were toast, and I didn't feel at all like I did in Strawberry after having a pack work well together.
Finish: I ended up second place overall. One of my season goals was top 3 at Jr. Elite Nationals, so I have to be happy, right? For the situation I was in, I am very pleased with how I performed. I still pulled off the third fastest run split of the day after going hard with no help on the bike. Crossing the line, I had nothing left. Friends, family and my coach were there to congratulate me, and although I was frustrated, I was also fulfilled. I raced my heart out- what else could you ask for? Now, it was time to celebrate. Stephanie Moroney ( a member of Vortex) made the podium with the fastest run split of the day, so we turned in a 2nd and 3rd place finish for the Jr. Elite Females for Vortex. Our elite males did great as well. Steve Wright won the beach start, Jake Shoemaker killed the bike after crashing, Will got some awesome road rash to show off after crashing and Grant did great at his first Jr. Elite National Championships. Our Team is hands down, AMAZING. :)
I had a post race interview to follow up the pre race interview and photo shoot. I expressed how I felt about the race honestly and completely. The awards ceremony was at 3, so we had a bit of time to go grab some food and replenish. Being on the podium was exciting, especially with Stephanie up there too. We got tons of photos, so I will put some of those up as soon as I upload them.
On Sunday, I mistakingly went for a ride up a few canyons with Jake, Steve and Grant before heading off for White Water Rafting. I think I will stick to Triathlon- I wasn't the best at the whole paddling deal. I got distracted by the amazing views going down the river, and was pretty tired from the race the day before. My teammates, once again, proved how amazing they are by paddling our boat down the river with my contribution about 50% of the time. It was an awesome experience and I am really excited that I went.
We went to dinner that night with the parents and teammates, and Steve Kelley (our team coach) tagged along as well. It was the perfect end to an unforgettable weekend. Now, about five days after Jr. Elite Nats, I am in preparation for Elite Nats in Tuscaloosa on August 22nd. Trying to train smart, rest hard, stay hydrated and keep having fun!
Hope all of you are enjoying your seasons and keep up the hard work.
Jessica
