Inaugural Mile High Boulder 70.3

If I had to pick a favorite race, it would be Boulder 70.3, formerly the 5430 Long Course Triathlon. In 2006 this was my first half ironman, my second triathlon and the race where I realized I had potential in the sport of long distance triathlon. I went on to race it in 2007 and 2008, placing top 3 in my AG and overall among amateurs and taking off over 20min from my 2006 time in the process. Last year was very bittersweet as I unexpectedly had to withdraw from the race just two days prior due to a dental emergency I had to take care of. Race day was a sad day as I stayed in bed and watched Brandon get ready for his first (and the race's last) 5430 half. I eventually made it out to the race after most people had finished and being there brought me to tears as I so loved this race and couldn't compete that day. That day I promised myself I'd be back the following year, with a vengeance.

Fast forward to yesterday and my first time racing the newly renamed Boulder 70.3 as a pro, and I stayed true to my promise. It was a near perfect day for me and a great personal achievement for my growth as a new pro in the sport. Here is how it all went down:

First off, there are several reasons besides the ones mentioned that I love this race so much. 1) I train on the course almost every day, especially the bike course, which means I know every up and down, every turn and where to push it and when to relax. I have done countless intervals up and down 75th, making my legs and lungs scream with lactic acid and fatigue. 2) it's a hometown race and so many people are out to cheer so you don't want to disappoint. 3) The weather is usually pretty good, although hot later in the morning... but no rain and wind to speak of, at least during the race. 4) I get to sleep in my own bed and get to the race site within minutes.

Speaking of sleep, good thing I slept pretty well 2 nights prior to the race because Saturday night was a minor disaster. After hydrating so well that I went to the bathroom about every 15min for a total of 7 times or so, and having a really tough time trying to fall asleep, partly due to nerves, partly because it was really really hot, a pretty significant thunderstorm decided to roll through town around 1a.m. I might be wrong here but I don't remember ever experiencing thunder storms in the middle of the night since moving to Colorado. Then again, maybe I have slept through some. At around 2 a.m. I finally fell asleep, only to be woken up at 4 a.m. for the race!

It's amazing what adrenaline and pre- race nerves can do because I was wide awake, barely needing my cup of coffee to get going. We arrived with plenty of time to get things set up in transition although I need to remember to bring the bug spray next time. Mosquitoes are out in full force at 5 a.m., especially after a storm! When it finally got light out I realized it would be a cool morning as overcast skies greeted us. Did my warmup- porta pottie routine and checked over the bike once more and gave it fast vibes for later on. Then I was off for the water, determined to get at least somewhat of a swim warm-up in, as I find that it actually is beneficial, especially when the pace is fast from the get go!

The pro race was a non-wetsuit event as the water temperature was 74 degrees. While it might not seem cold (and a good 25 degrees warmer than my first tri of the season) it's a different story when you get in, swim around for a bit, get back out and wait around for 10-15 min. Soon enough, all of us were chattering teeth and goose bumps, with those lucky enough to have friends and family around, bringin them towels and jackets to stay warm. I could feel myself tense up from shaking so much and tried my best to stay loose as the nerves kicked up a notch since we were moments from the start.

The gun went off and I was first next to the buoy. Good in one respect, bad in another. While I sight to the right, it was great knowing I could see the buoys at all times, every time I took a breath. Bad thing was that no one was swimming to the right of me and everyone pretty much swam away from me to the left. With just me, myself and I (as every race so far this year) at least I took comfort in the fact that I would not swim off course, with buoys guiding me the entire way. It took a good 500m to get my breathing under control and my muscles to relax from being cold and while at one point I swam straight into and under (picture giant triangle on my head) a buoy, my swim was pretty uneventful as I only encountered the occasional algae/ tumbleweed (yes, really!) run-in. I exited the swim within my goal time, keeping me right on track for the day. While I was third to last getting out of T1, I knew I had the potential to catch some of the faster swimmers on the bike and run.

Out on the bike on my red hot Argon 18 E-112, my quads turned to bricks. What was this? What if I don't loosen up? I stayed positive, knowing I could ease up if I wanted to, I had 56mi of fun ahead after all. After navigating the first 5mi slightly uphill on Jay Rd. and US-36 I finally hit a nice downhill where I made my first pass and started to feel better. From there on I put the legs on cruise control, focusing on even effort and staying fueled and hydrated. The tricky thing when racing hard is that I don't get hungry. The way my body lets me know it needs fuel is by giving me headaches and blurry vision. I made it through the entire first bike loop (of two) without eating a thing. Not so good, but I wasn't freaking out since I can race on relatively little fuel.

By lap two I forced down some nutrition and the headaches disappeared almost immediately. Lap two also included a much higher need for paying attention as we were now mixed in with the hundreds of age groupers, some of whom rode side by side (and even threes!), making it difficult to pass on the highway. It required alot of "on your left", and even the occasional "on your right" as I wasn't about to risk my life by swerving way out in traffic to make a pass for riders that were way out on the left side of the shoulder.

The funny thing about racing pro is that I barely ever see my competitors. Depending on the depth and size of the field, you can go a whole race without knowing what place you are in. Such was my case yesterday. Although I tried to keep track of who I passed, it was hard to calculate my overall standing, so my only option was to leave nothing in the tank and see where this would get me.

Highlights and lowlights of the bike course included several top ironman pros (who weren't racing) doing their long run along Hwy 36, seeing Crowie hop out of the bushes as I zoomed past, the not so pleasant sight of ambulances pushing thru to a competitor in distress (hope she is OK!) and having familiar faces cheer me on and keep me going.

I knew I had a good pace on the bike and was delighted to have hit that goal as well (7 min faster than my previous best) as I hopped off back into T2, seconds back of another competitor. We both started out on the run together but I quickly passed her, completing my first mile in 6:35 and feeling pretty good. Earlier I got worried that I might have overcooked myself on the bike as I was going pretty hard, but putting mind over matter and my speedy Ruuz on, gave me confidence to trust my body to keep pushing on.

The run was as hot as I remembered, with no shade and plenty of sun. I was pretty much running alone on the first lap, passing one additional racer and finally getting an idea of my standing among the pros. My Team Sport Beans/ NTTC team mate Jessica, who was a late addition to the race, was having an outstanding day and I found myself trying to catch up to her throughout the bike and run when I could actually get a glimpse at the various out and backs.(she would finish less than 2 min ahead of me and we had almost identical bike and run splits) Dave Scott was at various points throughout the race and gave me excellent feedback on where I and my fellow competitors stood at various stages of the run. I could feel myself tire quite a bit on the second run lap and had to dig deep to find the strength to keep my form and pace going while trying not to overheat and cramp. It took every last ounce of energy to get myself across the finish line, and when I did I felt a huge amount of relief, joy, pride and emotion as I crumbled to the ground in complete exhaustion.

I ran 5 mins faster than my previous best on this course and smashed my previous PR by nearly 15mins (even without a wetsuit :) I was ridiculously happy even though I ended up in the med tent for a good 20min with cold towels and ice draped over me. It was only later that I found out about winner Julie Dibens stopping before the finish line to protest the 8% rule (see my Kansas 70.3 post) to ensure the other 4 pros in the run for the money had a chance to earn it. She crossed 5 or so minutes after she finished to allow the rest of the field to "catch up", and she is, in my opinion a great athlete and person to actually walk the walk, not just talk the talk. Turns out she didn't need to stop as the top 5 were all within the 8% anyway, but it did ensure me a slot for the 70.3 World Championship in Clearwater later this year, an opportunity I could not pass up. (it's 5% for qualifying) Although I've heard mixed things about Clearwater, I decided to accept the slot because it is an opportunity to race this distance with the best pros in the world and because my mom is racing and I was going to go see her anyway. This way we both have something to look forward to in November :)

But next up is Ironman Canada in less than 3 weeks. For now, it's recovery the quickest way possible, eating lots (this race made me hungry, I've been eating non-stop all day) and getting plenty of rest, while coupling it with a few more quality training sessions before tuning it down for IM taper. I am excited to race in Penticton; yesterday was a great confidence booster and a good sign of what I am capable of when I believe in myself and my training.

Thank you to all of you who were out cheering, volunteering, and racing. You all provided me with the extra push to get the most out of myself. Thanks to my sponsors for all your support this season, I hope to continually bring in good results.

Here are the official stats of my race: Swim- 32:45
Bike- 2:22:27 23.6mph
Run - 1:28:52 6:47mpm- fastest run
4:26:58 4th place

Top 10 Women of the Day:

1. Julie Dibens (GBR) 4:19:46
2. Angela Naeth (CAN) 4:22:27
3. Jessica Meyers (USA) 4:25:09
4. Uli Bromme (USA) 4:26:58
5. Rebecca Witinok-Huber (USA) 4:30:37
6. Marisa Asplund (USA) 4:33:52
7. Karen Melliar-Smith (USA) 4:37:22
8. Brandy Rothman (USA) 4:38:46 * AG W35-39
9. Kelly Lear-Kaul (USA) 4:39:50 * AG W35-39
10. Amanda Durner (USA) 4:40:43 * AG W35-39