3rd at Timberman70.3!!!!!

Yesterday I got 3rd place at Timberman, a result I'm EXTREMELY excited about. Chrissie was racing, therefore it was really a race for 2nd:) haha. So 2nd = 1st and 3rd place really= 2nd!!!! Just kidding. I am so excited for the 3rd place, and even more so, again, for where my fitness is at and my progression this season. My goal/focus race this entire year continues to be Austin70.3, and so this is just another check for me that things are going in the right direction.

I LOVE this race. It's another one of Keith Jordan's (Mooseman and Austin, also some of my favorites). It's right near my home, my Grampa has a house right near Lake Winnipesaukee, it takes place at Gunstock, a local ski mountain so you have the ski lodge/mountainy/cabin-feel, as well as the beautiful lake, the amazing crowds (there were TONS of people out on the course cheering and screaming), the post-race food, breakfast buffets and then dinner events at night.....I could probably think of more, but it really is a great event. I did this race my first year doing triathlons, so 2007, in the 18-24 age group and remember loving it but haven't been home since, as I was teaching and school had already started by now in the past two years. I'm so glad I decided (kinda last minute) to do it again and I will definitely be back next year.

Aquasphere swim report- I knew before this race that it wasn't going to be the sub-30 day. After Steelhead, I took about 10 days "break" and only did something if I felt like it. I would jog or ride my bike easy....on the weekend I did almost nothing. Anyways, you can guess what got left out of the break week going on an "only-if-you-feel-like-it" training schedule. Hmmm, when do I ever feel like swimming? Haha, just kidding, but I didn't really get too many good swim session in the 3 weeks between Steelhead and Timberman, so I was just hoping to not completely fall off. I was in at 31:42, so down about a minute from what I pulled off at Boise/Mooseman but way better than I was expecting. Unfortunately, AGAIN, that was about a minute back from Angela Naeth, who got 2nd, and I lost to her by 1 minute:( It's okay, I'm back to LA this week to work with my swim guru coach. Thank you Aquasphere for my great wetsuit and goggles! Oh, I forgot to mention it was a wetsuit swim, which was AWESOME. I knew it was a sign of a good day, as the temp was 71.6, or 71.8, something right there, and the cutoff for pros is 72 degrees.

Trek, Bontrager, Sram, ISM Saddles, FinalFit, K-Edge Bike Report:
2:24, with Naeth riding a 2:21 and Chrissie at 2:22. Before the race, the coach I've been consulting with talked about easing into the bike. Usually I just start hammering out of transition and lose speed on the back end. I've had three weeks of rest/recover, a break, and a week of easy before this race, so on the upside, I was coming in feeling relaxed and fresh, but on the flipside, it can be really easy to come out too hard. I was also feeling the swim effort in my legs, and so the first 10 miles of the bike I was, as Andy Potts said at the pro panel, "being patient." I wasn't taking it easy:), but I was being patient. I was definitely pushing it, but I just didn't want to load my legs up. Also, the first 10-15miles of Timberman are the hilliest miles and I was definitely playing it conservative on the hills, but then to the big blade (Fraser!) for the last 2/3rds after the huge descent around mile 10. I think I had been 2nd or 3rd to last out of the water, and managed to pass quite a few girls ahead of me (and some pro guys:) sorry) and came into T2 in 4th, behind Chrissie, Naeth, and Dede Greisbauer. Thank you Trek/Bontrager/Sram for the bike- and Jim at FinalFit! The bike fits like a glove now. It's set-up in the perfect position and is so awesome to ride. ISM Saddles- comfiest saddle EVER! Thank-you again. Also, K-Edge, no dropped chains!

K-Swiss, SpiderTech Tape, CEP Compression, FuelBelt, Smith Optics Run Report:
1:27 on a hilly course, so I was really happy with that. More importantly, I felt really, really good out there. The crowds and Adam the announcer were so amazing coming out of T2 that I think I ran a sub-6 first mile, or at least that pace for the first quarter mile. It was great:) Also, thanks to Tim Snow who was in transition around the same time and yelling at me to get going and cheering and supporting the whole run:)

 I settled into a pace and caught up to Dede around the 5 mile mark. From then on, it was about reeling in Naeth, who I knew wasn't too far ahead. I've been doing a hilly longer run and so I tried to put the hill sections out of my head- just power up them! get up them! You do this in training all the time. I think I lost a little bit around mile 10 and had to refocus. I recently ran a 5k local run race and that was all there was left at this point, so I just kept thinking FOCUS, 3 frickin miles, push it....Van Halen's Right Now :)....people were yelling and screaming that she was "just up the road"....I'm not sure what I ran the last 2miles in but I was definitely pushing it (for me). I just kept picturing her coming into sight around each corner. Unfortunately I never saw her but rounded down the chute and came in 3rd:) Yayyyy.

hmmm apparently I always seem to make the same face and arms-up celebration. I keep getting the same pictures every race:) Time to switch it up....ideas?

I also came across the finish line to a huge hug from Chrissie! Awesome. I had never met her before the pro meeting on Friday and had only read and seen her amazing accomplishments.

 She is truly an amazing person and athlete for whom I have only the utmost respect. She raises the bar for both girls AND guys, a topic on which I have more to say in a future post:) She had an unbelievable race and it was an honor to finally meet her and race against her.

Congratulations to everyone who competed yesterday. My parents and me:) Yes, they raced again even though they just did Placid. Congrats to all the NH State Troopers who raced yesterday! (below)

Thank-you to everyone that was out there cheering and supporting! That's what makes the races so fun and inspiring. Especially those who were out there working as volunteers, thank you! Thank you Wattie, of www.wattieink.com for all of your continued help and support and cheering and belief in me. I couldn't do this without you.

 Next up, a few days recovery- thank you Compex and TriggerPoint Therapy for help in recovering! Recovery and then a solid 3 week training block for a race in September, not sure which one yet, as part of my prep for Austin70.3 in October. Happy Training!!!! See you at the races!!