KANSAS:
Kansas was a fun weekend- I drove from Boulder with a friend and had a wonderful home stay. I was really excited to do a non draft triathlon after having the Kemah triathlon changed to an aquathlon a few weeks earlier. I had really been enjoying riding my TT bike again, and was feeling strong.
In the early hours of race morning, a storm started rolling in and by the time we made it to transition it was in a full on downpour with lightning. (Does the bad weather follow me everywhere?!) It wasn't freezing, but it wasn't warm. I did my bike and run warm up around 6:15 a.m., anticipating a 7:30 a.m. start, but the race director started making announcements that they were delaying the swim every time they saw lightning. And it kept on coming! Ultimately, they decided to cancel the swim and we would do a bike-run, with a staggered TT start on the bike (we left approximately 10 seconds after one another). By this time, it was after 8 a.m. and I was starting to get cold. I had all the proper clothing and was prepared for any weather, but I was so wet that it didn't really matter. It was hard to go off and continue warming up while we waited for the race director to make a decision because we really needed to be near transition to hear what the race would end up being. If he decided there would be a swim, I wanted to be near by to get a good swim warm up in.
As I took off on my bike I tried to get into a rhythm and get warm. I never noticed that I was shivering or freezing during the ride, and I felt like I was riding well, but I kept getting passed by the other riders. I was one of the first to go off and as people went by I tried to stay with them, but they would eventually go off down the road. There was really nothing wrong, I just wasn't riding well, which could be for a number of reasons.
When I got to transition I was excited to see what I could do on the run. I had a great run at Kemah and was eager to test myself again. By this point it was sunny and warm, so weather really wasn't an issue! I put in my absolute best effort, but my body wasn't cooperating and my run wasn't what I was hoping for.
The consistent theme of the day was that I raced hard and stayed mentally strong, despite the swim cancellation and less than ideal conditions. Some days the body just doesn't show up to play! A big thanks to my home stay Rodney and Dynelle Kessler- you made my first visit to Kansas such a pleasure, and I appreciate your hospitality!
DALLAS:
This past weekend I went back to Dallas for the 2nd running of the Dallas ITU Pan American Cup. Last year I had a heat stroke at this race, so I was back for some redemption, and was really excited to race in the US. There aren't that many opportunities to race ITU in North America, so it is important to really capitalize on the races we get. This was also the U23 National Championships and the U23 Worlds qualifier.
The team I race for, Off the Front Multisport, had a whole group that went out to Dallas to race, and it was great to see my teammates. After being sick for the first two ITU races earlier this year in March, I was really excited to get out and race again.
I had a great swim, was swimming in the front group, and exited the water at the tail end of the group. I ran through transition and struggled clipping my helmet, got my bike and ran out of transition to see the group heading off down the road. I mounted my bike, put my head down and told myself that getting in that group was the race for me. And it was. I should have been in that pack after the swim I had, but ITU racing is often times about these critical seconds. ITU racing has a lot of races within the race itself, and unfortunately, I wasn't able to win the race of getting in the pack. I ended up riding alone for 3 laps, then with one other rider for the remaining 5. We were caught by a group of 2 on the last lap, but we just kept losing time to the front group of 12. From all the draft legal races I have done, I know that sometimes this is just how the races go. I rode hard, kept my mind clear, strong and focused on making the most of the situation I was in. I ran well for the first few laps, but then fell apart and finished in a disappointing 12th.
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| Photo credit: Brandon Wade |
The positives of the day were my swim and fueling- I nailed my nutrition and hydration and didn't feel dizzy, thirsty, hungry or sick (big improvement from last year at this race). There were some negatives for sure, but I like to focus on the good. A big congrats to all the racers this weekend, especially the guys who toughed it out in hard conditions with a race start at noon...in Dallas...in June. HOT. There were some really phenomenal performances this weekend from USA athletes, and that is great to see.
I got to have a wonderful dinner with Matthew Murphy and his son Shawn. I have decided to become a part of Shawn's Anomaly, an organization spreading awareness about congenital anomalies in children. I am really excited to be a part of such an amazing group of people, and help in whatever way I can.
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| With Matthew and his son, Shawn. |
I received an email this morning from someone I met in Dallas while out running on Friday.
"Greetings Jess.....my name is Dennis, and we met Friday morning (along the lake next to the Marriott and my apartments) while I was walking my dogs and you were just finishing your running and preparations for the week-end event.....I want to extend my congratulations to you for your efforts and 12th place finish in this event.....you are likely on your way home right now, and a bit fatigued, but I wanted to also convey what a pleasure it was to have met you......parents and grandparents (like me!!) can always see good qualities in people even when others may simply overlook these positive attributes that are so obvious, and I feel fortunate to have met you, and to compliment you on the intrinsic goodness that exudes from you and via your presence.....while in church this morning, I considered the potential personal difficulties that you must endure in your training, travels, and competitions, and I decided that I am going to pray for you, and for the goodness that God has prepared in advance for you. You are a good young lady, and I wish you goodness throughout your life."
I really enjoy meeting people when I travel, and it makes me happy to know that I sometimes leave a good impression! I pride myself on being a good person, because at the end of the day that is really all that matters.
A big thanks to my coach Grant Holicky, the Apex coaching crew, my family and friends, OTF Multisport, Breeze Bars, Team Psycho and Rudy Project for your continued support. It is monumental having such an amazing group behind me, through the highs and the lows of training and racing. I head home to CT in 10 days for Father's Day, my little sisters' graduation from middle school, and a little hometown racing fun. Then off to Edmonton for the World Cup, followed by a week in Monterey, CA coaching a Junior triathlon camp. :)
All for now.
Jessica
