First off I felt really good tapering in Florida. My coaches worked very well at setting me up perfectly for my swim. You can never be sure when you try something different but our ideas seemed to really help me execute on the day. Another thing I did differently was trying to stay loose and keep my heart rate up after my swim warmup. I was jumping, swinging my arms like crazy and just trying to stay warm and ready to go. I wanted to use my bands but there wasn't really a place to do so, luckily I know bands are good but not necessary for a fast swim.
I felt really fast as soon as I dove off the pontoon. I didn't have a great starting spot (being ranked 42nd going into the race), but I tried to just ignore the fact that I didn't have a straight line to the first buoy. It was definitely a rough swim but I was pleased with how I handled it. I actually felt strong in the water for the first time as well which is a great confidence booster for races to come.
I come out of the water in the main pack (a breakaway of four or five guys was formed out of the water but most of the race contenders were in my pack). I had a great first transition and gunned the first 5 minutes as our pack seemed to form. I spent less time up front than normal, but put in a monster pull on the second lap to help us bridge up to the leaders. I still haven't decided if that was a bad idea or not but either way I'm happy I did that. It was another great confidence booster for this early season race.
I came off the bike towards the rear of the pack for my second transition, and that's basically where I stayed for the remainder of the race. I really didn't feel that great during the run but I think my run legs are there, I just have to find them again!
I'm not sure when my next race will be yet, however I do know that I learned a lot at this race. I finished the day in 19th and I was the 4th Canadian. I couldn't be happier considering it was my very first elite race.
Thanks to C3, Nineteen Wetsuits, Aberdeen Subaru, Human Performance Centre, Triathlon New Brunswick and all of my family and friends for their constant support!
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| I may look cranky, but I was very excited to be racing again! |
