Hello, NZ!

I have arrived in NZ! It is my first time to this beautiful country, and I am excited for our four weeks here. The San Diego training block went well- I stayed healthy (thank you Rick!), and got in a consistent eight weeks of work, making progress in a lot of areas and taking new tools and knowledge with me onward to Camp #2. I am transforming as an athlete in a lot of ways, and changes aren't solely physical.

It was great to visit with Chris in Manhattan Beach, CA before flying out of LAX on Wednesday night.  Chris was flying in a different direction to Florida for two early season ITU races in Clermont and Sarasota (GOOD LUCK :)!!) Although it is tough to be worlds apart, we are incredibly supportive of one another, and I can't imagine being on this journey without his encouragement and love.

I am currently in Queenstown, a few kilometers from the airport, waiting for Darren and a few of the other Dsquad athletes to land this afternoon so we can make the trip up the mountain together. This camp will be at altitude, an environment I am familiar with after five years in Boulder, Colo. I am eager to get settled and take on new challenges in our temporary home of Snowfarm.

View from hotel in Queenstown, NZ.

Just a short post- mainly for friends and family who asked me to update my blog more often so they can keep tabs on me ;)

Love you guys!

Jessica

Handling injuries LAVA article

Got an injury? Check out my LAVA article to get some tips on how to handle it in a healthy way.

http://lavamagazine.com/handling-injuries-in-a-healthy-way/

Article for LAVA: Why do you do sport?

http://lavamagazine.com/friday-confessions-why-do-you-do-sport/

Thank you to Matt Reed, Joanna Zeiger, Cam Dye, Joe Maloy, Angela Naeth, Jimmy Seear and Jodie Stimpson for contributing!

Big Changes

It has been awhile since I have posted a proper update on my blog- since late September to be exact! A lot has happened in the past four months, so I will try to keep it brief and use photos to distract you from the less exciting paragraphs of text.

My apartment may have been a goner, but the silver lining was that I got to spend the next three months with the amazing Hoops Family, who soon became family to me. With the help of Rich, Traci, Lexie, Payton, McCall and Remi, I emotionally recovered, got some new clothes, and went on with my life. The love and support that the Hoops showed me during this time is something I will be eternally thankful for. 

In the midst of this transition, I wasn't really sure what my next move would be. There was no exact date on when the remodeling of my apartment would be finished, and as much as I would have loved to stay with the Hoops forever, I knew that I would need to make some decisions for the upcoming year.

After communication for several weeks, I received an email in early November from Darren Smith, an Australian triathlon coach, welcoming me to his international squad of athletes. I still remember the incredible mixture of emotions I felt when I found out, mainly pure excitement. I knew this was going to be the start of the next chapter of my life.

Came home to find this from the Hoops in my room. One of the many gestures that made me feel so loved!

Traveling home for Thanksgiving was next up on the schedule. Seeing family is always a treat, and I embraced our time together. My parents and sisters have been my biggest supporters from the start of my career, through the highs and lows, and everything in between. Celebrating the news with them was very special and I could see just how excited they all are for me and the journey ahead. 

With all my sisters on Thanksgiving day.

Before heading back to Colorado for my final two weeks, I made a stop in Arizona for a few days to meet Darren for the first time. Both Lindsey Jerdonek and I were invited to spend a few days shadowing world-class sprinters, vaulters, hurdlers and jumpers training at Athletes Performance in Phoenix, AZ. We met Dan Pfaff, an incredibly wise and experienced coach, who has worked with nine Olympic medalists and five world record-holders during his 39-year career. These three days with the athletes, coaches, and Darren were a peak into the sphere of high level sport, and the attention to detail and focus it takes to be absolute world class. 

Dan Pfaff in the center with some amazing athletes surrounding!

The two weeks following flew by- I packed up all of my belongings into my car, trained, met up with friends for one last coffee or lunch date, shipped boxes, and celebrated Chris' birthday and graduation.

Birthday boy. Coke and cake- combination of champions.

Proud of my graduate! 

I also came down with the flu (Yes Mom, I should have gotten a flu shot) during my final day in Colorado, which made an already emotional goodbye even more painful. The Hoops organized a farewell breakfast the morning of my departure, and despite waking up with a 104 fever, I refused to miss it. Chris's mom, Cindy, and sister, Brittany were in town as well, so it was a great gathering with lots of people I love. As I sweat out my fever, tears filled my eyes while hugging everyone goodbye- I was an absolute mess! The photo below is prior to the emotional breakdown.

Traci, Rich, me, Payton and Remi after farewell breakfast. 

If there is anywhere I would want to have the flu, it would be at home. My fever was often so high that I could barely walk, and I missed out on some holiday fun. My sisters took good care of me, bringing me new blankets to sweat through and water to chug down. By the time the holiday was over, I was starting to come around, just in time for my departure on New Years Eve to California. 

Christmas Eve, before Santa even came!

And here I am now in Chula Vista, Calif., less than two weeks away from heading off to New Zealand. Camp here has flown by and I am learning so much from Darren, Rick (our physio master), Nico (our Swiss physiology intern), and all my D squad teammates. I am seeing improvement every week, and continuing to tick away at the job. Consistency is key, and I know that I am doing the best job I can at getting better every day. 

Run session towards the beginning of camp. Photo credit: Kevin Koresky

Overtraining article for LAVA

http://lavamagazine.com/overtraining-a-self-monitoring-system-is-key-to-prevention/

Goal-Setting

Need some tips to help you reach your goals in 2014? Check out my first article for LAVA magazine.

http://lavamagazine.com/set-your-goals-how-to-get-results-in-2014/#.UtbpwKBU3zI

LAVA magazine contributor

I am excited to announce I will be a contributing writer to LAVA magazine starting January 13th. I will be posting once or twice a week on a variety of triathlon related topics.

Here is a brief Q+A about me :) Enjoy!

http://lavamagazine.com/introducing-jessica-erin-broderick/#.Us4wD6BU3zJ

“What’s for you shall not pass you.”

I have never really believed in a higher power, or that someone up above has a plan for me. I like to think that I am in charge of what lies ahead, my own pilot in this journey called life. That was until recently.

After finishing school in December 2012, I made the decision to go “all in” with triathlon, and see what I can make of myself. Since earning my pro license in 2009, I have had amazing opportunities traveling the world to compete, and have enjoyed every minute. Triathlon has enriched my life in so many ways, and for that I am incredibly fortunate. 

After graduation, making the decision to pursue sport as my career was a big one, with much thought put in to it. I chatted with old coaches, friends, family, and realized that if I don’t go after my dreams, I will definitely regret it down the road and always wonder “what if?”

That being said, I can’t say that it has been the transition I hoped for. I didn’t think that miraculously after committing full-time to sport I would become the best in the world, but I have struggled to transfer all the hard work into race performances I am proud of. What I have done, however, is keep at it despite every road block I have encountered. Perhaps the biggest test of character has been the most recent obstacle- the Boulder flooding. 

As the water washed through my apartment, taking a majority of my belongings with it, I felt helpless and out of control. I purposely avoided going back to my apartment because I was in denial about all the damage and what I had lost. Thankfully, my apartment manager scheduled a meeting, and recruited friends to help me save as much as I could. Four hours of solid assembly line work later, I had garbage bags filled with dirty, drenched clothes, jewelry, and random things we were able to salvage. Perhaps the first  sign of a light at the end of the tunnel was what happened next.

My apartment manager’s friend, Traci Hoops, and her husband, Rich and daughter, Payton, had come to help me that day and invited me back to their home to run laundry loads and try to save some clothes. I followed them back to their home and found some of my things already hanging up to dry in their garage. I felt incredibly overwhelmed with how kind and generous these people were to me- I have never been one to accept help easily. This entire process has left me realizing that it is okay to let others help you in big ways, and I am eternally grateful to Hoops family for taking me in. Traci and Rich have four daughters (an environment I am very familiar with as one of four girls), and I have found it amazing how parallel my world is to theirs, making me feel very much at home. Traci invited me to stay until I figure out my plans, and I can’t help but think that our worlds collided for a reason.

Since the flood, I have had so many conflicting emotions: gratitude, sadness, appreciation, stress, happiness, confusion, and exhaustion. I used training as a way to get away from it all and clear my head. I went for some bike rides with good friends, and felt liberated as the wind blew over my face. I went swimming and enjoyed feeling the sun on my back, and the serenity in moving through the water. 

I decided to end my 2013 season due to a knee injury and all that I have been going through lately. I can’t help but see this flood as an opportunity to cleanse, appreciate and grow as an individual. I am putting my energy into doing all the things I can never do when I am busy training, as well as planning for 2014. 

While going through a garbage bag full of dirt and belongings, I came across a bracelet that my mom sent me after breaking my elbow earlier this season. I ran it under water to get the mud off, and turned the charm over. Dangling from the bracelet the charm read “What’s for you shall not pass you.” 

I know that this season has been a true test for me as an athlete, and an individual, and I am confident in being able to come out the other side stronger. I have a feeling that the stars will align and what is for me is just around the corner. I can't wait.

Perspective

I am sitting here in my friends apartment watching the rain fall outside and thinking about how difficult the past few days have been. A disaster like this one in Boulder makes you really put things in to perspective.

After my bike crash early June, I spent a long time rehabbing and getting healthy. I went to REV3 Maine after two months away from racing- and I was really excited to get back out there again. I raced okay, but walked away frustrated with a costly mechanical on the bike, and disappointed with the result. The weekend was a lot of fun with OTF Multisport, and our team had a big showing. I also got to catch up with Kurt Perham, my first triathlon coach. Throughout the years, he has always remained a mentor and good friend, so I was really excited to meet up.

Photo from the run in Maine.

I went home to Connecticut for a week, and as always, the time with family was much needed. We went to Rhode Island to see some of my mom's side of the family on Labor Day, a bittersweet feeling without my Grandma being there. My mom insisted on getting some family photos down by the beach- it is rare that we are all together, and photos are always a great way to savor the memories.

The fam. 

Since then, I have been preparing for the Pacific Grove triathlon and the Las Vegas Super Sprint. When I was home in CT I began to develop an old knee injury, which I think came from the combined stress of riding lots of steep hills (the riding where I live in CT is brutal!) and also from running on the roads (Boulder spoils me with trails). I have had the injury before, so I know how to deal with it and what it takes to get healthy again. This unfortunately means I won't be racing this weekend at Pac Grove, and most likely not in Vegas either. This season has certainly been filled with frustration- I felt like I was coming in to good form leading up to Edmonton, then the bike crash happened, now injury is putting me on the sidelines. However, after the past few days here in Boulder, I think the injury was a blessing in disguise.

I was supposed to leave on Wednesday for CA, but decided I wouldn't be able to race, and instead was able to be here to deal with the Boulder floods. My apartment is completely ruined, but I did get home from errands on Wednesday evening in time to get a lot of it raised. If I had left to race, I would have come home to a really really bad situation. Now, after staying at a friends place for the past few days (Thank you Kevin Collington and Lindsey Jerdonek), I am a bit scared to go back and see what further damage was caused by the flooding. Last time I left my apartment the water was 5-6 inches deep throughout the inside, but I got word from my apartment manager that 2-3 feet of water is pooled outside my apartment door and no one can get in to pump it out. (YIKES!) I am just hoping that 2-3 feet of water is not also inside my apartment.

Regardless, with this horrible disaster in Boulder, I have been reminded that things are just things, and the way people have come together to help others is truly remarkable. The next few weeks will be interesting as I am able to assess the extent of damage to my place and my personal belongings, but I know everything will be ok.

I am hoping to get healthy for Cozumel in October- I had a great, fun race in Cancun last year, so Mexico is a place I would love to return to. Until then, amidst the frustration with injury and flooding, I must remind myself to focus on the positive and keep moving forward, one day at a time.

Jessica

Summer Adventures: Connecticut, Canada and California

It has been over a month since I have updated my blog, so I am long overdue! I haven't been in Colorado since June 12, so I have been traveling around and quite busy. It has been a great few weeks all in all- lots of smiles, some tears, but mostly a lot of fun. Instead of writing a ton about my travels, I am going to use a mixture of photos and text to tell you what I have been up to lately.


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! :)

 

Chris Thomas and I after taking the overall male and female wins at the 2013 Griskus Triathlon.

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I enjoyed my time at home and got to see my baby sisters graduate from middle school! My older sister Emily and I held back tears as we watched them receive their diplomas, in disbelief that they will be headed off to high school next year. I am so proud of all they have accomplished so far, and I know they have very bright futures ahead of them!

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.

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.

USA women with Lindsey Hyman and Greg Mueller pre race. A great showing by Team USA!

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.

The whole crew pre open water swim in Monterey, CA. It was chilly!

A few big takeaways from camp----For one,  I absolutely LOVE coaching and am thinking about getting my Level 1 USAT certification now. I really appreciate Sharon Osgood (camp director) getting me involved with such an awesome group of athletes and coaches, because I had a truly incredible experience.

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.

The hip battle wound.

At the end of the day- a hairline fracture in my elbow, lots of road rash, and my first crash down in the books. I would say that 1 bad crash in 6 years of riding is a pretty good record! Sharon took great care of me, and I tried not to cry in front of the campers even though I was in a LOT of pain. The shower post crash, and the day after were just as bad as the crash itself, but every day since has been getting better and better. I went to the doc and he told me to use pain as my guide and swimming is actually "good" for the elbow."
So, I am still able to swim-bike-run, and things could be a lot worse.

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!

Chris and I at the beach on the 4th.

Unfortunately, I have been unable to do all the fun local events (swim-runs, open water swims etc), because of my elbow, but I have been able to watch Chris compete. The cheerleader role is actually quite fun! I have one more full day in Santa Barbara, and then I will be headed back to Boulder. I am looking forward to sitting down with my coach and coming up with a plan to attack the second half of my season with full steam! I hope everyone had a great 4th of July!

Jessica

Butter Braden and I at the beach. :)

Kansas, Dallas, and the rest of June

I didn't write a post after Kansas 5150, and now after racing Dallas ITU, I am due for a double race report. Both races were not the results I was hoping for, but that doesn't mean I didn't take anything away from the experiences.


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.

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.

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

An unexpected email...

Yesterday when I was traveling home from Kemah, I pulled out my phone and realized I had a new email. The subject was "Your Kemah finish line video." I instantly got excited to see the finish on video, and then felt disappointment when thinking about what happened shortly after. Video or not, it was the email itself that truly touched me. Having a complete stranger reach out to me and understand so well what I was going through is pretty incredible.

Matthew Murphy gave me permission to share the email.

Jessica,

I wanted to write you to provide you a moment that was a bright portion of your weekend.  I read your commentary on your blog, and I know that it is disappointing to you that you were disqualified not only emotionally but financially.  As someone that is a former professional athlete, I felt inclined to write you.  I felt that you "had" to write what you did, but it may not reflect how you really feel.  

I played golf from the time I was 6 years old until the day I was forced to retire from the pro tour at 28 because of injury. I took advantage of my talent and my career "in the moment" because it was the only life I had ever known.  When it was gone, I went through a huge depression because in an instant I lost the only identity I had ever known. I spent 2 years trying to find myself.  I want you to realize how blessed you are from today's modern technology and social media.  You will be able to show your children your career.  Sadly, I have very little pictures let alone video of my career. 

If I had a chance to do my career all over again, I would have done it so differently.  It is not always about the money or even the finishes as much as it is about competing with integrity and performing at your best while loving every second you are there.  I know that there are pressures on you to have results from your coaches and sponsors, but remember to carry the attitude of enjoying what you do and not letting your athletic career be "work".  The results will come in your favor because no matter what, we have the "drive" to train to be the best.

I was fortunate to find a new life outside of competitive sports. I also feel very fortunate that at 35 I got into triathlon even though I was never a swimmer, biker, or runner.  It is now my outlet to let my competitive juices flow for a good cause of raising awareness and providing help to families affected by birth defects similar to what my son was born with through the organization we founded www.shawnsanomaly.org.  I am fortunate to now see other athletes (both pro and age groupers) choose Shawn's Anomaly as their reason to race.  It really helps them put everything into perspective, and I am happy to just be a litte part of that. 

Please see the attached video of your finish!  I hope you have a great season. 

Sincerely,

Matthew Murphy

I can't thank Matthew enough for reaching out to me and giving me perspective on sport, and what matters most. This is something I love about triathlon- the people you meet along the way and the lessons you can learn from them. I am in communication now with him and plan to get involved with Shawn's Anomaly. Racing for a cause is something I have always wanted to do, and this seems like the perfect opportunity. 

Jessica

Kemah Tri

This weekend was a whirlwind of a trip. I made the decision to travel to Houston to race the Onurmark Kemah Triathlon, my first non draft race in over two years. After going to Florida to start my season early March, and being extremely disappointed with a bad result and a DNF (due to illness), I was eager to get back out racing. Since March, I have done a few crits and a TT in Boulder, and have thoroughly enjoyed racing bikes. I have seen fitness improvements across all three disciplines, and gained confidence from some great training sessions the past few weeks.

Kyle Leto and Kevin Collington both traveled from Boulder to Kemah to race, so it was nice to have friends and training partners to hang with. On Saturday the weather was okay, with just some light rain as we previewed the course late morning. There was a chance of thunderstorm and rain in the forecast, but the weather really seemed fine most of the day, and the thought of rain becoming an issue was not on my mind. Then, after an early dinner with Kevin, Kyle and Lauren and Barrett Brandon, we stepped outside and it was a torrential downpour with nasty thunder and lightning bolts. Our 50m dash to the car left us looking like we had just taken a shower. The rain continued to fall and we received emails that night explaining possible “Cancellation policies” from the race director. 

Race morning, 4 a.m. wake up (ouch!), breakfast routine, coffee, pack bag, receive email that bike is cancelled, boo.

Instead of sulking, I tried to remain optimistic, something that Grant always reminds me. “Focus on the positive, focus on the positive.” 

Everything was delayed a bit because of the change from a triathlon to an aquathlon. We put our racing shoes at the swim exit because there was a 3/4 mile run to t1 after the swim, and we basically would just be running through transition anyways. Our race belts were in transition, and I clipped mine around the bar on top of where my number was positioned (892). We got on the boat around 7 a.m. and started around 8.

It was a non wetsuit swim for the pros, which I was happy about. The water was pretty rough, and it was a small women's field so I ended up alone. I chose a line to shore that may not have been the best, as I was pretty far away from the buoys, but it seemed more realistic to me at the time because of the currents. 

Swim start.

I exited the swim and was in 2nd behind Lauren Brandon by a substantial amount, but felt good as I put my shoes on and started running towards transition. And then I reached the pro transition rack and my number was no where to be seen. I searched and searched, and after about a minute of waisting my time, I somehow assumed that since there was a race belt exactly where my number had been, that someone may have taken mine by accident. I thought "Oh well, not a big deal, I will just take theirs." That may sound silly, but we all know how we get when we race. Some things seem rational when maybe they aren't. Well, that turned out to be the reason I got DQed. But if I had run without a race number I would have been DQed as well. I am not completely familiar with non draft rules, so that is my own fault and I should make sure I learn them. However, my race belt was missing, and that was completely out of my control. 

I got onto the run and felt great. I ran to the front around mile 3, but knew that D'Ann was probably charging from behind. After catching Lauren I started feeling progressively worse, but that is how it should be, right? ;) I focused on keeping my cadence up, and my arms relaxed, and as I rounded the last corner and saw D'Ann behind, I knew that I had the win in the bag. She was closing hard and ended up finishing 10 seconds behind me, so congrats to her on a great run.

Grabbing the tape felt GREAT. It has been 4 years since that happened last- Collegiate Nationals in 2009. Even though it was an aquathlon, and even though I ended up getting DQed a few seconds later, I was reminded how much fun it is to cross the finish line and feel happy. It isn't necessarily about winning, it's about putting out your absolute best effort on the day and being happy with the result. A win is a win, DQ or not, it was a great day for me.

I was upset for about 5 minutes until I realized a few things:

1) I just had fun racing.

2) I ran a 36:55, my fastest split ever.

3) It is April, and there is plenty more racing to come.

4) I love triathlon again.

A big thanks to my coach Grant Holicky for encouraging me to do some local racing the past few weeks. It brought me back to a place of enjoying racing, which I was able to transfer into my experience at Kemah. Also thanks to Off the Front Multisport, Rudy Project and Breeze Bars for your support! 

Now I have my DNF and DQ out of the way for 2013, and I am ready to kick the rest of the season's butt.

Jess