Chris and I had a very easy travel day on Friday, leaving Boulder in the morning and arriving in Cancun around 4 p.m. with a direct flight. A van organized by the race director was at the airport waiting for us, so we loaded up our luggage and were off in five minutes. We got checked in at Iberostar and went to the race meeting at 6 p.m. which was just down the road at the Westin. When we got back we went for a short run around the soccer field at our hotel, and then enjoyed the amazing buffet for dinner.
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| View from our hotel window. Amazing!!! |
On Saturday we woke up to a beautiful day and it was difficult to avoid the beach and pool in an effort to conserve energy for race day. We had breakfast, did a short short and then went for a swim in the ocean. After the swim we rewarded ourselves by body surfing a few waves, and then realized we should get inside, put our feet up and relax. In the afternoon we went for a ride down to the race site and checked out the course. We had an early dinner at the buffet and then went to sleep. Well, we tried to. The theme of music playing the night before a race continued from Buffalo. Iberostar has shows every night that start at 9:30 p.m., so it took me awhile to fall asleep and before I knew it, the alarm for 5:00 a.m. went off!
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| Our hotel: Iberostar. |
Thanks to Grant enforcing the 5 a.m. swims with the squad, my body felt okay getting up. I showered, had my pre race breakfast and gathered all my things. I left the hotel at 6 a.m. and biked over to the race site in the pitch black. This was by far the scariest part of my day as buses roared past me about 12 inches from my body. I was relieved to see the transition area after about 20 minutes of riding in the dark.
I did my warm up on the bike on the way over to the race, so I checked in, set up transition and then went for my pre race jog. I knew it was going to be a hot day when I was drenched after 10 minutes of running. I found some ice, shoved it down the back of my suit and then got ready for the swim warm up. The water felt great- it was the perfect temperature and it was a beautiful morning. I warmed up in the water and practiced some ins and outs, and then we were ready to line up for the start at 8 a.m.
Swim: The swim start caught me off guard because when the announcer said "on your mark" everyone started jogging towards the front of the carpet, where as I stayed in my numbered box. I guess we were supposed to jog forward to the end of the mat, like a track start. Anyways, we were off, and after quite a few dolphin dives, I was able to start swimming. I wasn't beat up at all in this race which was a pleasant surprise! Get out speed is a component of my swimming that I am still working on, and I noticed that this was crucial for the race, especially since it was a sprint. I find myself swimming through the field on the second loop of most races because I am finally warmed up, but I knew that since this was a sprint I needed to try and get up there earlier. I could see the front few swimmers and then the start of the pack that I was at the end of. Coming out of the water I knew I was dangling off the front group and needed to have a great transition. I got to my bike and saw most of the girls exiting transition. I put my helmet and shades on, grabbed my bike and headed off hoping I could bridge up to the group
Bike: The chaos out of t1 is probably the most stressful part of races for me. Once I was on my bike I started riding hard and the main group was only a couple seconds up the road. Then, as I tried to put my foot in my shoe, my bike shoe flew OFF my bike pedal. Ugh! I stayed calm and composed, got my shoe, and started riding again. I ended up in a group of 6 girls, and a few of them were unable to pull through (I have been there!), which made for a few of us doing most of the work. I ended up riding at the front a lot because I didn't want to lose too much time from the front group. We could see them down the road the entire race, and ended up losing only about 45 or 50 seconds. A group of 8 or 10 women from the 2nd chase pack caught us with about one minute left on the last lap of the bike, so I made sure I was at the front of the group headed into t2. I felt good on the bike and was eager to see if my running legs would show up.
Run: As soon as I took my first stride I knew it was going to be a better run than Buffalo. It was hot and humid, but I felt great and smooth as I headed off on the run course. I was one of the first out of transition from my group, and made my way up to an athlete from Mexico, and ran on her shoulder for a bit. Then I realized I could run harder and made my way around her, with no one else in front of me but the athletes about 50 seconds up the road from the front pack. Approaching the first turn around, I could see all the top athletes headed back down towards transition. I put my head down and focused on keeping good form and staying hydrated. At the end of the first lap I was able to catch one athlete, then two, then three. I kept running hard on the second lap but was unable to catch anyone else. Coming into the final shoot I heard Chris scream at me to sprint and try to catch another athlete and I gave it all I had to the finish line. I was really happy with how the race went overall, and mostly just pleased with finishing strong and putting together a good run. In the past I have let things get to me in races, and I think so much of having a good performance is keeping your head and staying mentally tough. As we all know, the majority of sport is how we handle what is going on upstairs. I ended up 16th place which was the number I had going in.
It was great to see fellow American athlete Kaitlin Shiver seize her first World Cup podium after an incredible 2012 season. Good luck in New Zealand!
I was able to take a quick dip in the ocean and then watch Chris race. The mens race went by very fast and it was fun to watch everyone compete. The pack came together, so about 50 guys dismounted into t2 for a very speedy 5k run. It was hot and humid, and I think many of the athletes were happy the race was only a sprint! Chris toughed it out even though his running legs didn't show up, and I am proud of his effort out there. What an amazing season he has had! It was really fun to travel the world with him and experience our first World Cup together in Cancun.
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| Chris before the start of the swim. |
After the race we biked back to our hotel, showered, ate a huge lunch and then relaxed by the pool. We went in the ocean but the salt water was stinging my body everywhere from all the little cuts that had formed during the race. I ended up passing out on a beach chair instead.
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| Pool at Iberostar. |
We ended up just hanging out at our hotel and going to the night show. Chris competed in a Michael Jackson dancing competition and WON! It was awesome, and one of the best parts of the trip. The next day we had all morning to swim in the ocean and relax by the pool. My Monday went from sunbathing on the beach in Cancun in the morning to schoolwork in a cold Boulder at night. The trip was a blast, and a great way to end my short season of racing.
I met with my coach today to discuss the plans for the off season, what we will focus on, and the goals for 2013. I have been working with Grant now for a few months, and am very pleased with how things have been going. I can't wait to see further progression with more time. Since I started racing in June this year, it has been a pretty short season, but I have big goals for 2013 and am excited for the future. The biggest transformation for me has been my renewed love for the sport. Earlier this year I was not in a great place mentally, and was questioning why I was doing the sport at all. I wasn't having fun, I was taking things too seriously, and I was physically and mentally drained. Now, for the first time in awhile, I feel like I am in a great place mentally and am enjoying what I am doing everyday. A lot of that is credited to my amazing coach and training partners, who motivate and encourage me to become a better athlete, and who believe in me. I feel very optimistic about what the future holds.
A big thanks to my sponsors: Off the Front Multisport, Chobani Yogurt, Rudy Project and Endurance Shield. It has been an honor representing all of you this season and I appreciate all the support you have given me.
Best of luck to everyone who still has races left for 2012, and happy off season to those who don't! May the 2013 season bring you all you dream of and more!
Jessica
