Race Report: XTERRA National Championships 2013
Friends and clients of mine worried about my Twitter, Facebook, and Blog silence after last Saturdays race in Odgen, Utah. I blabbed a bunch as we drove across Oregon and into the mountain west. I tweets pictures of pre-race pizza and blogged about my jitters. Then, silence."How was the race?!?!" asked Everyone.
"Ahh.....Beautiful. Epic. Humbling. It was good." said Me.
I'm still processing. I trained all season to make my mark in XTERRA in this first year. I tried it. I love it. And I raced until I qualified to take a road trip to Nationals.
Once there, I just had to do what I had been trained to do. Prepare, prepare, prepare. Execute. All business!
The trip was a total blast. Jamming to tunes while we drove across new territory. Celebrating and spending quality time with family we don't see often enough.
Friday after the racers meeting I looked at Andrew hoping he'd caught the specific instructions on how to properly set up the two different transition stations. I've never done a triathlon with T1 and T2 in different locations. Ah!! Visualization had to change a little. After the swim I wouldn't see my wet suit again until I picked it up in a plastic bag with my name on after the race.
Swim: Early, warm, crowded. Kicked in the chin twice. Hard to see the bouys in the morning sun. Mantra: Kick, kick, pull, pull, faster, faster.
Got out of T1 half dressed. Could only get one glove on. Camel back wouldn't buckle. I'll worry about it later. Or I won't. Thoughts: I got this!! Situation: Got passed by four women in my age group who I'd beat out of the water on the first mile climb. Thoughts: I'm screwed. Fuck. Ass kicking is happening. No! No! Ahhh!!
Andrew popped out of the woods at the top of the climb. Just in time. I let it out, "I'm getting my ass kicked!!!!"
"No, you aren't, Monkey! Think positive. Go!!!"
"O.K!!!"
Up, up, up. More up. Damn.
At T2 my family was there to cheer me into my running shoes! Cool! Sort of disoriented, Andrew had to coach me to my shoes and remind me to eat. I was hungry. Slugged a gel and grabbed a pack of gummies to go.
And go I did. Up, up and more up. Never gained much speed until the course finally turned down hill. Feeling let free from some invisible shackles I bounded, leap and flew down to the finish line.
Hugs, tears and near puking came next.
Results:
3rd fastest swim in my age group.
2nd fastest run.
7th on the bike.
Put me 7th in the 30-34 year old women.
I know what I need to do.
Now I have to do it.
But, first...lets have fun in the mud! It's 'Cross time!!!
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