What a crazy weekend! Saturday morning was filled with rain and storms, causing all the kids races to be cancelled. The afternoon and evening actually ended up being nice, so we were dry checking our bikes into transition. We also ate at the Olive Garden and then headed home to try to get to bed early. Sunday-wake up at 3am. Leave home at 3:30. Ride shuttle to race site. We got there around 4:30. I started to set up my stuff and warm-up. I was out for a little jog and had just come back into transition around 5:15 when the RD announced they were changing the race to a sprint because storms were on their way in and they wanted to get everyone in and out of the water as quick as possible.
Major bummer. I took about 5 minutes to be upset and think all the negative thoughts. Then it was time to be a sprinter and get psyched to race. The race had also been switched to a time trial start for everyone. I think I was about the 3rd elite female to start. First female out of the water and out of T1. Was passed right out of T1 by a girl, but passed her back once I had my feet in my shoes. Bike went pretty well, but I was passed by a girl about 8-9 miles in. Came out of T2 behind her. My transitions here were much better than last weekend and my bike computer worked! Having cadence really helps! I think I was about 45 second behind the other female coming out of T2. Maybe 20-30seconds until the next girl after me. I started out quick trying to catch the other girl. I was gaining on her the whole run and make up about 30 seconds on her, but unable to get past her at the end. She ended up crossing the finish line 14 seconds ahead of me. I had also made a bit of ground on the ladies behind me.
I thought I had gotten second overall, but would have to wait until the results came out since it was a time trial start it was impossible to know for sure. I was able to finish before the lightening and rain hit. It did come, and came hard. If I would have been doing an olympic race, I probably would have been stuck running in the rain for 10-15 minutes. There were still plenty of people out racing in the rain-some had still started an hour behind me. The RD made the right decision going with a sprint. We rode our bikes back to the mall where are car was in the rain. It was actually kind of neat to have a big line of bikers biking to the mall in the rain. People who didn't know about the triathlon had to be so confused.
We got home and kept checking the internet for results. They finally came up...2nd place....by only 8 seconds! The girl in front of me was the first female to go off. So I wouldn't have even needed to pass her to beat her, just catch up by 8 seconds more. Ack! So frusterated! Oh well, guess that is racing a TT start. An age grouper snuck in 24 seconds behind me to get third, but the next elite girl was 41 seconds behind me, at least no one was able to get in in front of me.
Still happy with my race. All 3 legs and transitions were good and there is nothing I would have changed. This race was also a pro qualifier for the top three. This race left me happy because my run off the bike finally came together so I'm excited for a ReAl olympic race and finally a 70.3! By this not being an olympic, it makes me look forward to Lifetime and Steelhead that much more. I'm all sprinted out for the rest of 2010, bring on the long stuff!
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