Connecticut
I made a decision to travel home for Father's day and my little sisters' graduation from middle school, and it just so happened that there was a hometown race for me to compete in while in CT! The Griskus Olympic triathlon was the week before Edmonton, so I figured it would be a great tune up, and it is a rare occasion that I get to race in front of my entire family. My aunt and grandmother came to watch my race as well, so I had quite the cheering squad.
I had competed in the Griskus Sprint Triathlon as one of my first triathlons ever in 2007 (I think?), but had never taken on the challenge of the olympic distance. My mom warned me about the hills, but I honestly did not know what was coming. Riding in CT is actually quite challenging, even after living in Colorado for 5 years where we ride in the mountains all the time. Instead of being able to climb for miles (like in CO), riding in CT is like a roller coaster, and it is very hard to find a rhythm. You go up steep little climbs, then down, then up again...over and over again. I actually wish I raced on my road bike it was so hilly! Regardless, it was a very fun and rewarding course, and I was happy to put together a strong swim-bike-run combo to take the win. I also got the course record, so I have a free entry if I want to go back and race next year! :)
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| Chris Thomas and I after taking the overall male and female wins at the 2013 Griskus Triathlon. | \ |
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| The whole family after the twins graduation. From left to right: Me, Mom, Hannah (twin 2), Emily, Scarlet (twin 1), Dad. |
Canada
After my week at home, I was off to Edmonton, Canada for my second world cup. I was eager to see my Apex teammates, Flora Duffy and Lindsey Jerdonek, and race hard after a confidence booster the previous weekend in my hometown. A major goal of mine this season has been to transfer the relaxed nature in which I approach low key races, into my big races. This is much easier said than done, but I am making progress. I think it is really easy to over think and get in your head when you are on a big stage and have expectations. I always seem to surprise myself in low key race situations, so now it is about transferring this confidence and mentality over to my ITU races.
I was really pleased with my race in Edmonton- I had a great swim, ended up in the first chase pack, ran hard and ended up 18th.
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| Swim Start- I am on the right side between the green suit and the Canada suit. |
The one down side of the race was a hold up in T2- I made a surge to the front of the pack at the end of the bike and dismounted first in our group. I knew positioning would be key heading out on to the run. Unfortunately, I had a few people cut in front of me from the right side as they came across their transition areas (mine was towards the far end), and I nearly face-planted trying to slow down my momentum with my bike. Transition is always chaotic, so I just stayed calm and tried to get through there as quickly as possible. I was towards the back out of transition after nearly colliding with a few different girls, and I spent over half the run just trying to make contact with some of the athletes. The run course was TOUGH, basically two massive hill repeats. I ran very hard, and was pleased with my race effort-- I had nothing else to give on the day, and crossing the line after giving your best effort is a great feeling! I have made a lot of steps in the right direction, and I am really proud of that. I still have work to do, but I am patiently enjoying the journey, and always looking forward.
We had quite a few men and women racing in Canada, and it was a great trip all around. A big thanks to Greg Mueller and Lindsey Hyman for being great coaches. It was awesome to get to spend time with both of you, as well as all the American athletes.
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| USA women with Lindsey Hyman and Greg Mueller pre race. A great showing by Team USA! |
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| Me with Chelsea Burns and Katie Hursey, my OTF Multisport teammates! |
California
My travels from Canada included a flight to San Francisco (which was delayed quite a bit due to fog), a missed shuttle to Monterey (due to the delay, due to the fog), a later shuttle to Monterey, CA, and a short car ride to California State University- Monterey, for a week of coaching at a Junior Triathlon Skills camp.
I had an absolutely incredible week- I think I learned just as much from the campers as they did from me. Spending time with young, talented triathletes brought me back to my roots and made me remember the fun and positive approach I had towards the sport when I started about six years ago.
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| The whole crew pre open water swim in Monterey, CA. It was chilly! |
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| With some of the campers and coaches at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. |
Second big takeaway- even though I have been doing the sport for awhile now, I still have a lot to learn! I now understand what people mean when they say "teaching is the best way to learn something." I kept my eyes and ears wide open throughout the week, and through engaging with other coaches and athletes at camp, I can honestly say that I left camp with a lot more knowledge than when I arrived.
Third big takeaway- Enjoying the process is the key to success. I saw all of the campers smiling throughout the entire week- even during some really hard sessions, and I think that having a positive attitude is essential for achieving goals in sport. It is definitely hard to maintain the mentality I had when I was 16 years old and just getting started in triathlon, because I had no expectations and really no care in the world- I just had fun and worked really hard. Now, I have fun and work really hard, but also put a lot of unneeded pressure on myself on race day. Racing is racing, and you have to have fun to be successful.
A quote I read recently that relates.... (I also met Olympic swimmer, Eric Shanteau at an open water swim yesterday in Santa Barbara and read this article later that day, where I found the quote).
"If you're enjoying yourself in sport and enjoying the competition, you're going to get better."
On the second to last day of camp, we were descending a steep climb and I crashed my bike pretty hard. The hardest part of the day was behind us- It was 110 degrees and we had climbed lots of miles in the mountains. I was moving my hands from my hoods to my drops, and in the split second between I hit a huge hole in the road and went flying.
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| The hip battle wound. |
So, I am still able to swim-bike-run, and things could be a lot worse.
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| Chris and I in Santa Barbara at the Dolphin Fountain. |
I was able to catch a ride with one of the campers' parents to Santa Barbara, where I have been now for a week. It has been great to visit with Chris and his family- I turned 23 (ah!), and I absolutely LOVE everything about southern California. We went to the beach on my birthday, and that was probably my favorite part of the whole week!
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| Chris and I at the beach on the 4th. |
Jessica
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| Butter Braden and I at the beach. :) |
