Race Day!

running to the finish

Sunday I did the Las Vegas Tri.  I had several clients and friends racing so it was bound to be a fun day.  I was doing the sprint race.  I love doing sprints because they are fast and short!  You are done before most people are getting out of bed.  After doing Ironman events a sprint is a walk in the park......well maybe a sprint in the park.  I went into this race very relaxed and just wanted to have fun.  I got right into the front on the swim.  I was prepared to push myself in the swim which I rarely do.  I didn't see anyone ahead of me heading out to the buoy so I felt pretty good.  At the buoy we started catching some of the men that started 5 minutes ahead of us.  Turning at the buoy I only saw a few red caps (red was the female color).  I still felt great and thought I would keep this pace.  At the beginning of the swim I saw Marie who I swim masters with.  She is one of the fastest swimmers I know.  I thought if I could get out of the water even close to her I would be doing good.  She didn't have a wetsuit and I did.  Wetsuits will make you slightly faster in the swim.  Sure enough as we exit the water she is right ahead of me.  I think to myself "I must have had a good swim if Marie is right there."  On to the bike.  It is only 13 miles but it will be all out for 13 miles. I pushed hard on the bike and at the turnaround I thought I saw one girl ahead of me.  Sure enough at the second turnaround I saw her again.  She was far enough it was going to be hard to catch her.  We get to the run and I knew I had to have a good run to maintain 2nd or even attempt 1st.  The run starts out up hill for about 1/4 mile which was tough.  Once I got up the hill I was doing good keeping a 7:20 pace.  I see the girl ahead of me at the 1.5 mile turnaround.  I begin to realize she is too far to catch on a sprint race but I still try to maintain my pace.  I start to get a side cramp and tell myself to run through it with only 1 mile to go.  I slowed to about 7:40 pace until mile 3 because of the side cramp.  I finished and thought I was the 2nd place finisher.  Come to find out the girl ahead of me ran out of the bike out exit and not the run out exit and was disqualified!  OK I will take first place even if it is by default.  I must say the girl was fast and I am not sure I could have pushed any harder. 

Hollie, Jeff and I

Post race talk with Vic

I had a number of clients and friends racing yesterday.  Some did the sprint and some did the Olympic.  I am happy to report everyone did awesome! Jeff G. did his first sprint and won his age group!  Hollie got back into the tri world by racing for the first time since having a baby! Vic is a client that I have who will be doing his first Ironman next year. Sunday he did his first sprint.  Brent, Shawn, Jeff E. all had great races improving previous race times.  Jeff E. will be doing Ironman Arizona in November. My boyfriend Michael got 2nd in his age group, this was the first time he placed in any event!  Nancy Dickenson raced the Olympic and won overall female!  Coach wins sprint, clients wins olympic.....I would call that a good day! She is amazing and will be doing Worlds ITU in November.  She told me she chased down two girls on the run yeserday to win first place!  I said better to be the chaser than the person getting run down! Overall we all had fun and it was a great day. Thanks to Vic and his wife for taking the great pictures of the race!  The race was done and now it was off to work for this girl! 

I had another client Derrick who completed his first Ironman on Saturday.  He completed the Redman Ironman in under 16 hours!  Excellent job Derrick.

Getting my eagle award (very ugly first place award)

Gary, Michael, Vic