JOURNAL ENTRY 1: Margie’s Journey Down Under
JOURNAL ENTRY 2: (Bad) Luck and Lessons Learned
JOURNAL ENTRY 3: The Power of Positive Thinking
JOURNAL ENTRY 4: ITU Hy Vee Triathlon World Cup
JOURNAL ENTRY 5: Edmonton BG Triathlon World Cup
JOURNAL ENTRY 6: Kitzbuhel World Cup Triathlon
Margie’s Journey Down Under To Take Part in the USAT National Elite Team Training Camp
Sunday 3/11/07
I arrived after a smooth 14 hour flight from LAX with intermittent naps and
movies, getting up every 2 hours or less to walk around or go to the bathroom
(it is always key to stay hydrated on long flights). The drive up the coast
from Brisbane to Noosa was breathtaking and I knew already that I was going
to love this trip.
Monday 3/12/07
Fortunately for my jet-lag, I got a great night’s sleep (despite the
heat/humidity in our apartment, which I share with Sara McLarty and Jasmine
Oeinck—and we leave the windows open to acclimate instead of using AC)
and today’s a recovery day for the USAT folks… a good way for
me to ease my way in to the training, with just a light swim on my own at the
Noosa Aquatic Center. It is a huge swimmer-friendly facility (a country club
of sorts, sans-tennis/golf) with a 50-m pool, two 25-m pools, a play pool area,
a snack bar (with famous breakfasts!), a pro shop, a kids’ play/care
area, locker rooms, great mountain views, etc. Here they know how to treat
a swimmer right … One highlight of today was sharing a scream with Jasmine
when we discovered a spider in our apartment.
Tuesday 3/13/07
Introduction to reality this morning with a 6am treadmill workout. I did my
best to get the Jello out of my legs. Took nearly the full 90-minute session
to do so. I enjoyed the drive from our apartments to the gym where we worked
out—the rolling, winding coastal roads here in Noosa all have a generous
shoulder or true bike lane, and if you’re not up high looking out at
the water or over at the mountains, you’re down low admiring the rich
greens of the forests interspersed between beach towns. An afternoon recovery
ride with a few of the ladies and gents gave me another glimpse of the great
riding roads here, and then a hard late afternoon swim reminded me where
my strengths and weaknesses lie. Every bit of this trip is a learning experience,
and I revel in every moment.
Wednesday 3/14/07
Open water swimming is one of the Aussies’ greatest strengths, and after
this morning’s workout I can see why. We joined the Noosa locals for
their weekly open water swim (attended by swimmers, triathletes, and surf lifesavers—a
big sport here, by the way), which began at 5:30am. I was only slightly nervous
riding down to the beach on my bike in the dark at 5am, my fears mitigated
a bit by the fact that everyone else was doing it too. (Hmmm…) The swim
consisted of several “ins-and-outs” where you run in, jump the
waves, get out past the breakers to a buoy they’ve set out, then rest
and return, practicing riding the waves in and running out of the water quickly.
We also did some longer buoy-to-buoy swims and other specific drilling. It
was a lot of fun and very useful drilling—exactly what I need to practice.
Later we had a hill repeat workout on a secluded, traffic-free park road of
switchbacks, practicing pack riding, jumps, sprints, high and low cadence climbing,
etc. The hardest part for me was the long descent after each climb—we
went out onto the main highway for those and I clung to my handlebars and brakes
with fear on each curve… but survived the better descender for it. Our
post-ride run later in the day was very easy and relaxing in the hilly, sandy,
wooded trails of Noosa National Park. I loved it. Later we enjoyed coffee at
the local shop on “the strip,” which is a bunch of cute little
shops on the way down to the water very near our apartments. I got a chance
to talk with a bunch of my “teammates” about something other than
triathlon with ocean breezes keeping it all fresh. The touristy highlight may
have been the spider we saw on the walk down.
Saturday 3/17
We started out St. Paddy’s Day with the local group ride—about
an hour at a pretty relaxed clip out along the coast, then a turnaround and
race for 45 minutes until we’re back, followed by a short run w/ some
race pace work. I was in my element completely. I needed a short nap after
that, and then at 2pm we had a hard swim, followed by a celebratory outing
for Guinness. We went to an Irish pub first, but the crowds and the cover charge
scared us away, and we ended up at The Reef, which upstairs was a lot like
Chuck E Cheese and downstairs was like a night club. We sat outside on an awesome
deck. I learned that Guinness has fewer calories than most regular beers, plus
a lot more vitamins. I think most people already knew that.
Sunday 3/18
Jasmine and I started the day with an easy run in Noosa National Park. The
highlight was seeing two koalas perched comfortably high in a tree near the
beach. There were a fair amount of tourists walking that path and pointing
up—that’s how we saw them. After an afternoon on the beach, we
had a grocery run—best part of the grocery stores here is that the
carts have swiveling wheels on both ends so you have no control over them.
It is fun once you get used to it. At our USAT-sponsored picnic that evening,
each apartment brought something. We brought tomato, basil & mozzarella
as well as apples, brie cheese, and honey. They were a hit. The coaches invited
the Spanish team but none of them spoke much English—they were sitting
on the edge talking amongst themselves with Manny (Huerta—he’s
a Cuban American on the team here) so I joined in. It’s amazing how
many internationals are here—us, Canadians, Japanese, Spanish…
Monday 3/19
Since it’s race week for just about everybody, we’re doing a lot
more on our own training now. I started the day with a ride on the coastal
route (which is where I go each time—seems like I still haven’t
gotten to know the roads yet). It was an off day for most of the USAT folks
so about six of us took an excursion to a small artsy town called Maleny up
in the hills. It was quaint and filled with artisans’ shops, hippie shops,
and cute cafes and bakeries. It reminded me of something you’d find in
Oregon. We even took a trail to a local waterfall and swimmin’ hole there.
I had forgotten my suit so everyone else jumped off the rocks over the waterfall
into the natural pool below while I took photos. We took the scenic route back
(as if just driving anywhere in Queensland weren’t scenic enough) and
got some great views of the coast and the surrounding towns from very high
up. I had a relaxing easy swim on my own later in the day and took another
turn cooking that night.
Tuesday 3/20
We went to the course in Mooloolaba this morning. It’s great to be able
to see where I’ll be racing and visualize it in the preceding several
days. It’s a great course, too—the waves are big, so that will
be challenging and exciting, then the bike course has a large hill that you
go up and down each loop for 8 loops (yahoo!—the hillier the better),
and the run is on the bike course so you get to do the same hill. It’s
all totally exposed, no shade anywhere, so our 11am start time should make
for some pretty hot conditions. I’m very excited. Later in the day we
had a group swim session, and after dinner we had a mini birthday celebration
for Manny in our apartment. Sara made a huge cake for everyone—yum. I
like to call her Momma McLarty, as she is very responsible and has everything
together. Everyone relies on her for her computer, for her cooking, to make
arrangements, etc. It’s been great to get to know her and Jasmine throughout
the past couple weeks.
Wednesday 3/21
Another low-key day today. Sara and a couple others and I did the open water
swim this morning (most people were at the pool but I need all the o.w. practice
I can get!) and then I went for a run on my own. Later I was on an easy ride
and ran over the tail of an oana lizard. I tried to slow down but then he
stopped, so I thought he wanted me to go, but then he ran right in front
of me!! I think he was fine though. Jasmine left this morning for Thailand
to race there this weekend so I have the room to myself but I miss her cheer.
Sara and I are holding down the fort though. She and Jasmine will actually
be here all the way through Ishigaki (April 15). Tonight is Julie (Swail)’s
turn to cook—she joined into our dinner group the other day when she
arrived. It’s amazing how much time I spend thinking about food. The
highlight of today was the opportunity for multiple impromptu dance parties
with Sara. Whatever it takes to get through the day.
Thursday 3/22/07
Most of today was low-key, as we get closer to the race. We had a group swim
session this morning with plenty of sharpening work. I was excited to finally
start feeling fresh and fast in the water. I’ve shortened my stroke
back to a higher turnover (which we’ll need for the choppy open water
on race day) and I get a lot more get-up that way. Our post-swim grocery
run was uneventful but I managed to spend nearly $50 with only 4 days left
here—amazing how much you can spend on food here!! This afternoon I
rode with Sarah H, Rebeccah, and Sam McGlone on a different route than my
normal coastal route. We’d done it in a group once before—the
fun part is going over this bridge over a river area where there’s
a big forest where the bats like to hang out. Tons and tons of bats, just
hanging upside down, waiting for night to come. It’s an amazing sight
to see—I mean thousands of them—but I have yet to take a photo.
Don’t trust my sweaty hands to ride over the bridge and hold a camera.
Our ride included some race-pace work to sharpen up but was mostly easy and
conversational, followed by a short run to loosen up. A day wouldn’t
be complete without at least one whooping at Scrabble (it’s me getting
whooped by the masters) and a few rounds of Boggle, but after that I spent
the evening with Sara, who made awesome stuffed peppers for dinner.
Friday 3/23/07
One of the unfortunate side-effects of doing a training camp where you really
load up on the volume, etc., is that after a short while you get pretty run-down.
By the end of last week Cliff was preaching to us not to share food/drinks,
to sleep extra, to really hydrate well, etc., as he noticed we were getting
run down and people were getting sick. I had a good handle on my own health
and, having been there only a week instead of 3, was less run-down from training
(though I had built mine up at home as well, it wasn’t quite to the
crazy volume they’d been doing here) and was fairly confident I could
keep myself together with all of the extra sleep I’m getting here.
I woke up last night with raging ear pain, however, and a doctor’s
visit this morning confirmed my suspicion that I had a bad ear infection.
Weird because I didn’t have much congestion otherwise. I don’t
like taking meds before a race, but with a couple of long flights coming
up in 3 days, the doctor said I didn’t have much choice (if I didn’t
want my ear to explode on the flight, that is). So I am now on antibiotics,
ear drops, and have a nose spray for the plane. Luckily all of it passes
the Anti-Doping codes. (By the way, yesterday at the Scrabble game the anti-doping
folks came to test a couple of our teammates—you never know when they’re
going to show up). Aside from the interesting doctor’s visit (they
have universal health care here and it is a very organized, easy system),
the highlight of today was our Mooloolaba trip for the race meeting and the
open 5k (which Sara, Haven, and the coaches Cliff & John ran). The meeting,
held at Underwater World, was a good way to tour a museum for free, and the
5k race, right on our Sunday race course, was great fun to watch in the twilight
as we dined at an outdoor café.
My impressions of the folks here:
In talking with Barb Lindquist before I left for Australia (she coaches
the Elite Development Team, which I am now on), I told her one thing I was
looking forward to about the camp was the chance to get to know some of the
other US athletes better, to demystify some of them, etc. It's been great to
get to see people in a different setting than race day and realize that overall,
they’re really just a bunch of normal people just like me.
JOURNAL ENTRY 2: Bad Luck and Lessons Learned
Mooloolaba BG Triathlon World Cup, March 25, 2007
Flat Tire Troubles: After nearly two weeks of great training and camaraderie
with the USA Triathlon National Team in Noosa, Australia, I was flying high
and ready to get my 2007 World Cup racing going with a bang. Coming out of
the water at the Mooloolaba World Cup to find a flat tire in T-1 wasn’t
the way to do it. With the high speeds of the draft packs at the World Cup
level, I’d have to be totally prepared for such a mishap (unlike that
day). So now, at the urging of Elite Development Team Coach/Adviser Barb
Lindquist, I always check my tires thoroughly after my morning race warm
up, I bring extra wheels to each race, and I always find out if/where the
wheel stop is located. Hopefully after that stroke of bad luck, though, it
won’t have to happen again!
Ishigaki BG Triathlon World Cup, April 15, 2007
The No-Warm Up Woes: I had hoped to redeem myself from the flat tire incident
with a strong finish at the Ishigaki World Cup a couple of weeks later, but
once again took more lessons away from it than ITU ranking points. I remember
sitting at the table at breakfast watching various top-ranked women saunter
in, sweaty from running (several hours before the race). The self-preserving
part of my psyche remembered the words of my high school coach about people
who used to intimidate us (“they put their underwear on the same way
you do—one leg at a time”). The inquisitive side of my brain
wondered if I should’ve been out running too—DUH—they were
warming up their legs as I warmed my stomach with hot coffee! Indeed I should’ve
followed their lead, as just a couple of hours later when it was time to
go out and warm up, our side of the island was struck with a heavy downpour
and high winds—not exactly the best weather to get out on the bike
for a pre-race spin. I went into that race highly unprepared to swim 20 minutes
all out, and my entire race suffered because of it. Since then, I’ve
performed a strict warm up routine, beginning with waking up three to four
hours prior to the race, doing a 25-30 minute run including pickups, a thorough
stretch, a 20-30 minute ride (if possible), another short run, a swim, and
stretch cords… and it definitely has helped in my last several races
with positive results!
St. Anthony’s Triathlon, April 29, 2007
Why I Love the Sport: One of the sadder parts of the reality of my triathlon
career currently is that points races are top priority and there is little
chance to do non-drafting races. However, I did get the chance at St. Anthony’s
at the end of April, and the whole experience reminded me of why I got stuck
on this sport after my very first race. Not only do I love the non-drafting
format (two other women and I all broke the course record on the bike at
the 20-year old race—going fast on my own is FUN!!), but more importantly:
triathlon is for everyone—the young, the old, the Olympic minded pros,
the just-want-to-finish newbies, the tiny little pipsqueaks and the largest
Clydesdales. There is nothing better than sharing the joy with everyone in
the age group races. My body reacted to the various scenes alternately either
with goose bumps or teary eyes: feeling the eager anticipation of competitors
making their way through the expo the day before the race, picking up their
last-minute items… watching a newbie set up her transition carefully
for the first time… warming up along-side age groupers starting in
the first wave… cheering for the droves of finishers nearing the line
as I headed out on my cool-down… chowing down at the post-race party,
kids in lap, clapping for the prize winners and grooving to the band… It’s
amazing to be part of this triathlon family.
JOURNAL ENTRY 3: The Power of Positive Thinking
Ixtapa BG Triathlon World Cup, May 12, 2007
Margie Makes her Move in Mexico
Although I had the Lisbon World Cup on my race calendar and had gotten myself
in a position among US women to earn entry into the race, I decided to pass
up the trip to Portugal in favor of a trip to Mexico for a smaller race just
a week later. I am very pleased with the decision; my second place finish in
Ixtapa was equivalent in points to about 15th in Lisbon, I avoided a major
wreck in Lisbon that knocked several competitors out of the race, and it was
a much easier trip to a country whose language I speak and whose culture I
love!
At many of the Continental Cup races and even some of the World Cup races,
there is an age group race as well, so there's often a chance to be back in
the comfortable realm of age groupers--I do miss those days. Heading down to
Mexico with my friend Emily Davies (we swim at the same Masters program)
was great fun. It was Emily's first race back after having her second child,
and it was my chance to improve my ranking. We were both excited for a fun-filled
weekend of good racing, good food, beautiful beaches, and all the fun of traveling
together.
Emily and I laughed about the mix of people seated around us on the small plane
from Houston to Ixtapa--a bunch of triathletes from the US and Canada and a
group of twenty-something women commiserating about how long it'd been since
their last cigarette. Clearly we were travelling to Ixtapa for different
reasons. Once there, it was quite a puzzle to get four bike cases (ours
plus some triathlete friends) into a van, but after about ten minutes of maneuvering,
we all managed. Driving from the Zihuatanejo airport to Ixtapa proper was reminiscent
of my time in Ecuador (having lived in Quito during the summer of 1997). The
houses and other buildings outside the airport were nothing like the resort
town of Ixtapa, just 20 minutes away. Crossing over what seemed to be a freshly-renovated
bridge on the highway into Ixtapa was like crossing from the third world into
the first. Very sad, moving, and peculiar. I wish the benefits of tourism would
spread more beyond the immediate areas people visit. Ixtapa itself, however,
was beautiful, clean, and rather Americanized, though nowhere near as commercial
as Cancun. It seemed like more Mexicans vacationed there than Americans, so
it was nice to get the flavor of a different Mexcian resort town.
After the pre-race meeting (during which Emily so graciously registered me
officially for the race--oops, I thought I had done that already!), some fellow
competitors approached me to discuss a race strategy that would get three of
us onto the podium and ideally exclude a last-minute and very swift-running
entrant (who did end up winning). It's interesting to see what kind of "teamwork" can
be proposed pre-race. As it turned out, our rough plan (basically for me not
to pull the Brazilian woman along with me as I chased from behind) didn't pan
out, as she came out of the water ahead of me and on the front pack! But I
did chase effectively by myself and caught the front pack within the first
quarter of the bike course. Then it was a matter of trying to push the pace
and drop whomever we could, trying to take the running legs out of as many
as possible. By the time we got to the run, the heat had crept up and we'd
worked pretty hard on the bike--both good things for me, as I handle heat well,
and I am used to riding very hard before running. I had a strong run given
the circumstances, and ended up second overall to Carla Moreno (Brazil).
The post-race dinner party was great fun, as it served as the awards ceremony
for age-groupers and elites. Since the race was Mexico's National Championship,
it was well attended, and even included some challenged athletes divisions
that were very moving to see. We enjoyed good food and the company of my Chilean
friend Barbara Riveros, who beat me for the win in Argentina in January (I
was happy to have beaten her this time). We also met her coach and had an enligthening discussion
of ITU race tactics. I always enjoy seeing people outside of the context of
race day drama--everyone is so much more real that way--and the dinner was
a nice way to wrap up a productive and fun trip.
Honolulu ITU Continental Cup, May 20, 2007
The Power of Positive Thinking: I’ve been working for what seems like
years to improve my swim, the thorn in my side in this triathlon world. Again,
because of the format of draft legal racing, essentially an entirely different
sport, the swim has become the most important, make-or-break part of my race.
Recently I’ve made kick sets much more common in my training (efficiency
sort of goes out the window when you have to go all out), and my Tuesday swims
have included much more high-intensity race pace work with my coach, Ken Mierke.
Finally at St. Anthony’s I had the breakthrough I’d been working
for, coming out of the water much closer to the leaders than usual. I came
away from the race with added confidence, and ended up applying said confidence
in Ixtapa (where the swim set up a strong 2nd place finish overall to Brazilian
star Carla Moreno for valuable ITU points) and the US Pro National Championship
in Honolulu (where I was the 7th American, 5 seconds behind 6th place, and
had the 10th fastest swim as well as an overall time 3++ minutes faster than
last year on the same course). It’s amazing what a little confidence
will do.
Madrid BG Triathlon World Cup, June 3, 2007
Looking Ahead: I look forward to racing in Madrid on June 3 on a very hilly,
challenging course. Not only do I get to use my Spanish (having been a high
school Spanish teacher in a former life), but I get to go back and conquer
the bike course that struck fear in my heart just last year—it was
my first World Cup ever, only 2 months after a severe downhill crash in Honduras.
I feel more prepared than ever for some technical downhill riding thanks
to my weekly group rides with the Reston Bike Club, and I can’t wait
for another chance at World Cup points with my new swim confidence. Just
two weeks later, I get to make the shortest trip for a World Cup in my own
short pro triathlon history, traveling to Des Moines, Iowa for the prestigious
HyVee World Cup. It is the only World Cup on US soil this year, and boasts
the biggest prize purse in triathlon history. It should be stacked with the
best top triathletes in the world, and will be televised nationally on NBC
(at least according to the race website). The better the field, the more
exciting!
Journal Entry 4: ITU Hy Vee Triathlon World Cup – Des Moines, Iowa
That was the hardest race I've ever done, BY FAR. I am very pleased with my effort despite the less than stellar splits. The bottom line was that I worked my tail off, ending up 22nd (ranked 32nd going in) and NOT one of the 15 DNFs of the day.
My swim was poor. and I came out of the water as far back as ever. The very front pack included 5 American swimmers that dominate. They pushed REALLY hard on the bike up front (enough so that 2 in their pack DNFd due to exhaustion) and when I came out so far down (w/ 2 packs more between them and me), I gave it my ALL on the bike. It was EXTREMELY windy but largely a diagonal crosswind so it was driving all the time. The 2 downhills were into a headwind so I couldn't even recover there! I rode alone from start to finish because I dropped the girls that came out of the water with me within 1/2 lap and passed/dropped a pack of 4 shortly after, with no help from them even momentarily. I have never been blown around on a bike so much in my life. They say St. Anthony's is windy--NO WAY. We had constant 20mph winds and gusts above 30mph. To do that alone was so exhausting. On the 2nd of 6 laps, my 2nd water bottle came out of its cage when I went over a bump so I didn't get to drink any of it. I just pressed on. I closed the lead to 40 seconds by the midpoint on the pack in front of me (which had closed the front pack's lead only slightly) but then with a couple laps to go the 2nd and 3rd packs merged and picked it up, and they started getting further away again. I worked so hard, I cannot describe it. I was gritting my teeth for 42.2k (it was a long course). When I got off the bike my quad/hip flexor cramped just like it had in Madrid. I surmise this was a dehydration problem just like it had been there. Anyway, I started running and thought "woah, I am so cramped, how will I run???" Luckily the downhill came first on the course so at least I had the hill's help going down, but it wasn't the best for my quads. I loosened up a bit on the second (of 4) lap but when the third lap hit and I went up the hill, my hip flexors and quads and glutes all cramped simultaneously. At this point I'd already witnessed about 4 people stagger off the course and get taken away by med crews--all I could tell myself was to finish, UPRIGHT. I knew I was dehydrated so at each of the water stops (2 per lap) I drank a full bottle or as much as I could get in. I managed to make it through with the slowest run split of my triathlon career... but after a very valiant effort on the bike, I am proud. And no one ran fast anyway. What a brutal race. I am proud of my effort!
Journal Entry 5: Edmonton BG Triathlon World Cup:
EXTENSIVE EDMONTON RACE REPORT
June 17, 2007:
When race entries for Edmonton were due a month ago, I was sitting #8 on the US list, so I did not get in. However, after their great success at HyVee last weekend, Haskins and Bennett both decided to pull out, leaving 2 vacant spots--so I got in. But it was Wednesday night when I found out for sure, and I had to scramble to make arrangements to leave Friday for the Sunday race. Also, I had to get my mind in the right place, as I'd been looking forward to a weekend off and to our store's Twilight Festival. Brendan made my arrangements, and Friday morning at the crack of dawn I was off.
Though preoccupied with making sure my bike made the connection from Dulles to Denver to Edmonton (with less than an hour layover in Denver), I had no reason to worry, as I learned once at the gate in Denver that our plane was broken and would require over two hours of repair. By the time finally we'd made our way from Denver to Edmonton, we were quite late, and ended up missing the mandatory pro meeting. The penalty for missing the meeting can include a fine to your nation's federation as well as being put at the end of the number order (which means for the swim start you get last choice of spots and your bike is last in transition). I had already been put at the end of the number order (which normally goes by ranking) because of my late entry, so I wasn't worried about that, and fortunately, some teammates were able to check us in--Sara and I (we'd both been on the late flight) agreed that Friday travel was not a good idea. When finally we arrived Friday night, the pasta dinner was nearly over, and I had gotten no training in for the day. No problem, I thought--at this point I've been racing so much that I hardly train anyway...
Saturday I woke up to rain and low 50s--a bit of a change from the weather in Argentina, Australia, Japan, Florida, Mexico, Hawaii, Spain, Puerto Rico, Des Moines.... I started preparing myself for a wetsuit swim and a cold & rainy race. The lake swim that morning proved encouraging, though, as the water felt warm. The weather prognosis for Sunday was improving, too.
Due to my last-minute travel planning, I was staying at the University of Alberta campus (they rent out dorm rooms in the summer--quite a good deal, actually, but no TV or special hotel amenities!), far away from the hotel district. I scoped out the public transport and ended up taking the metro to our team dinner at the Old Spaghetti Warehouse that night. It was quite satisfying to get there easily and cheaply, and we had a great time together at dinner. Our table mused over the vast quantities of bread we managed to inhale (and still ended up clearing our plates when our salads/soups and meals came), and I left for the subway more than full and satisfied. Probably ate way too much, as it was a bit difficult to sleep that night.
Races with mid-afternoon starts (this one at 1:30pm) are always strange because you never know quite what to eat. I was up by 7am and went to the campus-style cafeteria in the dorm, where I ate a bagel with cream cheese, a banana, and some coffee. I knew I'd need to eat again soon, but had yogurt and oatmeal upstairs for later, along with Clif Bars and other snacks. I went on a pre-race warm up run shortly after, and then hung out in my room, passing time through email and computer work. Finally when 11:30 came I headed down to the race course by bike, back pack overflowing with my wetsuit and other race gear, as well as dry clothes in case it continued to rain, etc. I arrived and checked in, got my bike and uniform inspected (we have very particular rules about where logos can be placed, how big they can be, etc. on our race suits), and learned that the water was 20 degrees (C)--we would not need wetsuits. I went out for a spin on my bike, then got my transition set up (run shoes, visor, gel, helmet (with sunglasses tucked into it) and bike (which was pre-set up with 2 gels and 2 water bottles) with bike shoes attached and held parallel to the ground with rubber bands for an easy mount. Then I headed down to the water for a swim warm up.
Once it was time to get lined up, I felt fairly ready to go, and just smiled and tried to stay calm as the flurry of pre-race butterflies fluttered around in my gut. The announcer began calling names, giving little tidbits about some of the top athletes as he introduced them, and finally my name was called--last, because I had the highest number due to my late entry. When I got down to the line-up platform, marked with multiple spaces (one for each athlete), I could not find an empty space. Momentary panic. I yelled out: WHERE IS THERE A SPOT?? Nobody said anything. Some officials scrambled around. It felt like minutes passed (probably it was 15 seconds). Finally someone pointed to a spot and I scooted in. Then the horn blew and we were off.
ITU races, even when they're less crowded, come with a very important and hence very violent swim (draft packs are decided in the water, essentially), so everyone sprints and kicks insanely hard from the get-go, battling for position. I found myself entwined with two other swimmers, my arms interlocking with one on each side repeatedly as we pulled. I kicked frantically to break free, but to no avail. This tie-up continued for about the first 400 meters, far beyond the rounding of the first major set of buoys. I got so frustrated that finally I did my forbidden Margie move of stopping to tread water, getting out of the tangle, and then going around. I went back on my word--I had promised not to do that anymore, admitting that in the end it sacrifices far more time than is gained by finding clear water. I even apologized in my head for doing it... After that I had to sprint even harder to get around that pack and try to get back in contact with the large pack in front of me...and spent the last 1100 meters in between packs (not the best place to be).
Finally exiting the water 50 seconds down from the main chase pack, which was probably over a minute behind the small front pack of dominant swimmers, I had my work cut out for me. After last week's Des Moines ride, I felt confident that I would catch that pack, but 1 against 15 are not good odds. I worked very hard in the first 3 laps to catch up, feeling so sluggish that I probably looked down at my rear wheel about 10 times, wondering if I had a flat. Finally I caught them and had intended to keep attacking and split the group or leave them. Unfortunately, I'd pretty much run out of gas at that point--or at least out of the will to ride alone again like I had been for 3 laps and like I'd done for the entire race in Des Moines. So I stayed with the pack, pushing the pace near the front most of the time (largely to avoid potential crashes at corners and on sharp curves) and got off the bike in the midst of our large pack.
Mentally I felt like anyone (including myself) had a shot at a top 10 finish, given that the pack of 7 in front of us had their positions fairly well established but that our pack was all together. I started to run and my legs were screaming otherwise... not feeling any pep at all. Immediately girls got away from me and I struggled to get some turnover going. It was a tough run, but I actually started to feel ok after the first of 3 laps and moved past a few girls. The sudden pep was short-lived, and I could feel myself sitting back. It was not nearly as bad as how I felt in Des Moines (after riding alone in 20+ mph winds and losing my water bottle in the process) but it was somewhat like running through molasses... I pushed as best I could and ended up 18th. A top 20 finish had been my first goal, but top 15 would've been even nicer--fuel for my fire for next time.
Reflecting on the reality of the torture I've just put myself through, having raced 7 of the past 9 weekends, each time a flight or more away, I admit that no one in his right mind should do such a thing. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and I was desperate for points. Right now I sit sixth on the US points list -- but there are about 5 of us that are vying for that sixth spot, all with a very similar amount of points, and a few races to go before the Beijing World Cup list is decided (that is the first Olympic Trials race, to be held Sept. 16). I will race a couple of more times to try to improve my points in the standings, and then, whatever happens will happen. Worst case, if I don't get into Beijing, we have two more qualifying races next spring, and all this racing this summer has put me in a position to be eligible for both of those... and best case, I'll get in to Beijing and have my first shot!
Journal Entry 6: Kitzbuhel World Cup Triathlon, July 22, 2007
Although the trip started out with some bumps and I did not have my best race in Kitzbuhel, the quaint Austrian Alpine ski town quickly became my favorite stop on the ITU circuit this year. Arriving in Munich first, I could not find my bike (it had yet to leave Dulles) and then could not find my ride (which had left because I emerged from the baggage area very late) and then, after the two and a half hour drive to Kitzbuhel, could not find the hostess of the bed & breakfast where I was to stay (she was enjoying a midday nap and didn't hear the knocking). However, things settled down not long thereafter with Brendan's help at home (tracking down my bike in Dulles and sending it on the next plane) and with the help of the hard-working race organizers (who loaned me a bike for training and got my hotel sorted out!) Enjoying the company of teammates Heidi Grimm and Amanda Stevens, I calmed down and soaked in the atmosphere, seeing the sights on foot, on the bike, and with the help of a ski lift. The race itself panned out quite differently than most this year: I exited the water among many strong cyclists and hoped for a bridging effort to the main pack. However, on such a tight course with multiple back-to-back hairpin turns and sharp descents, quickly I got spooked (still not over my Honduras wreck of last year) and decided to stay in the back to avoid a crash. The tactic is very common for the swift-footed runners on the circuit, and I can see why: coming off the bike I felt fresher than ever. Unfortunately, that tactic also works better in a smaller pack (mine had over 40) with less time between the pack and the leaders (they'd put a huge amount on us, navigating the curves far better in a much smaller pack) and with a very strong run to rely on (I'm not at the point yet where I can expect sub-35 minute 10ks!). Despite having one of my strongest runs of the year, I still ended up 43rd (one of my weakest World Cup finishes of the year), but with all the more appreciation for my more attacking bike legs and all the more determination to race well in Hungary August 11th.