Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Elite Nationals 2010!

Hey everyone-

This past weekend was my final race of the season- Elite Nationals which took place in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Remembering from last year the intense heat and humidity, I anticipated a tough race with a VERY talented field. This year, the start list included the best of the best in the nation including Laura Bennett, Sarah Groff and Sarah Haskins. After spending some time with these three athletes in Budapest, Hungary, as well as watching them race there (Elite Women's race), I was excited to toe the start line with such incredible athletes who I admire greatly for both their athletic achievements and their amiable demeanor. What an honor!

I had been looking forward to this weekend also because I would get to see my Mom again (after three months) and spend time with my coach, and a few members of the CU Tri Team who were racing the AG Nats on Saturday. Overall, I knew it would be a great weekend with great support. After my race in Budapest, I was excited for one more race to see if everything could come together. So far this season, I have learned a great deal about HOW to race and just how important the little things are such as the first 300m of the swim, transitions etc. I have had a handful of solid races with a good swim/bike, or great run, or solid bike/run. However, I had yet to see a race unfold that I could look back and say "Everything was great!" I guess it is somewhat naive of me to hope for this, but I do believe that it is beneficial to constantly shoot for that perfect day. Through daily dedication to all aspects of being a triathlete, and more experience, each race will be a step towards that. I've got time on my side, so I am optimistic and ready to keep making improvements each year.

Race morning, I was excited and ready to go! Race start time was 12:00, peak heat of the day. Warm ups at the race site felt great, and I was ready to hear the gun. Having the support of my Mom, teammates and coach in Alabama was fantastic. Nothing better than getting a good luck high five, or "kick some butt," right before toeing the start line.

The swim was non wetsuit since the water was 83 degrees! I found a spot in the middle of the pontoon, and had a good first 500m. Although the swim was rough at times, I was pleased with my placement and came out of the water with a solid group of girls.

I quickly transitioned onto the bike and ended up in a pack of about 5 girls. Like usual, the pack was not working well together and there were about 3 of us who did most of the work. Every time I came around, I could hear my coach yelling to "Sit in" but that's just not how I roll. I wanted our pack to be able to keep moving along, so I refused to sit in and see our group keep losing time. A few other athletes bridged up to our pack, so we ended up having about 8 girls. 3 other girls and myself tried to get away a few times, and on the second to last lap just as we attacked again, my chain dropped. This was extremely frustrating, but I was able to calmly get off my bike, put my chain back on and solo TT back to a group of 4 that had fallen off the other 3. I stayed with this group going into T2, and had a pretty good transition off to the run.

On the first two laps of the run, although the heat was taking its toll, I felt great. My legs were tired from the bike effort, but I focused on fast feet and staying relaxed. On the second half of the 3rd lap I really started feeling the conditions. I tried not to think about the humidity and heat, and just focused on trying to tough it out for another 3k. On the last lap, I guess you could say I "hit the wall," and unfortunately was passed and had absolutely nothing left. I ran myself up to 9th, then fell back to 10th, which is a placement that I am extremely happy with. Top 10 two years in a row at Elite Nationals! Going into this race, knowing the caliber of the field, I thought it was doubtful that I could squeeze into the top 10. I am overall pleased with getting to the finish line in one piece, and knowing that I gave it absolutely everything I had. Last year, I battled foot injuries that started at Elite Nats in Alabama and had to walk parts of the run. This year, I went with the philosophy of ""Only those who risk going too far, can possibly find out how far they can go." On the run, I went out extremely hard to see what I could do. I think that experimenting as an athlete is extremely important, because you surprise yourself often in what you can do. Although I really fell apart at the end of the run, I am happy with the mind frame I had during the race, and pushing past boundaries of my own abilities.

Now, after a full week off from training, I am back at it. Big run focus this winter and am excited to keep working with Mike Ricci. After having consistent performances (besides San Francisco) from April through October, it is nice to step back, evaluate the areas to focus on for next year, and delve into the off season. 2010 was my first season of racing where I can see steady improvement and NO injury. I'm a happy camper.

On to 2011!

Jessica


Sunday, September 19, 2010

A quick note...

Hey!

It has been awhile since I have posted.

Kelowna was solid- ended up 9th.
Worlds was ok- ended up 22nd with my best run split ever.

This weekend is Tuscaloosa Elite Nats. I plan on catching up on blogging after I catch up on all the school work I missed while in Budapest. All for now!

Jess