Nationals took place in Incline Village, Lake Tahoe, altitude of 7000 ft +. The whole week I had troubles sleeping and even doing lots of mental relaxation, somehow I didn’t find my inner center.
What I wanna say is, my race was not as good as I expected it would be. Nevertheless I ended up being 8th in the overall US Series, which is awesome for a first year PRO in the field.
Here is an update on the race:The week was sunny and warm prior to the race, leaving the trails dusty as never before. Grinding up the steep flume trail was comparable to digging in a sandbox, which made the climb very challenging. Since being a triathlete involves dealing with challenges it did not really bother me too much. Nor did it bother me that Lake Tahoe had a swell of 5 feet waves and freezing temperatures. Since I am a good swimmer, the worse the conditions the better. However swimming in a lake with 5 foot chop is somehow more difficult than doing so in the ocean. By Friday night a snow storm came in, leaving the novice athletes competing in the shorter Xterra Sport on Saturday with a swim cancellation and snow on top of the bike course. I saw people heading out in jeans on their bikes because they were not prepared for the cold. I bought a hat and winter gloves for my race on Sunday. Sunday morning: the water of the lake was as calm and clear as a mirror. The sun came out around 8am. The water in Lake Tahoe was still absolutely freezing!
My swim was smooth and well done. I felt a bit dizzy toward the end. Was a bit weird. Altitude I guess. The swim is 3-4 minute run away from transition, which let my cold feet feel like stones by the time I got to my bike. With my feet and fingers frozen, my transition took a bit longer. The bike was a struggle from the very beginning. I felt like I had a flat tire in the rear. As soon as I pushed harder to not slow down my stomach got upset. I felt like puking and pooping for the entire ride.
What I was stoked about was that I did do all the technical sections I had practiced when visiting Lake Tahoe in August. I came into transition with Amber Monforte. I knew I still had power and energy for the run, so I pushed hard from the beginning. I still did not feel my feet, they were still so cold and stiff. After 10 minutes the feeling came back. I must have injured my right ankle on the bike, since it was swollen quite big and hurt a lot. I kept my pace though and gave all I had left.
What I learned during this event was, that I still need to figure out how far in advance I have to go into altitude. It was nice to meet and see Blair Barklow racing on Saturday, one of my athletes. I was also cool to hang out with my sponsors: Dewet, from Squirt Lube, Marty from Jama Nutrition. Thanks to Gene, who let me stay at his place and gave me a ride to and from the airport, and thanks to the support of TeamPlanetSun, which provided me with Uvex sunglasses, Ultimate Direction hydration systems, Moeven Sleeves and Sugoi race apparel. Special thanks go to Dr. Mike McMahon for his motivational comments and patience on the phone!
(Photos thanks to Gene Murrieta)
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