Costa Rica 2011

I had the opportunity to travel to Costa Rica for the Trakkers/ Rev 3 camp and Rev 3 inaugural race in Costa Rica last weekend. What an amazing experience it was. I got to spend some time with all my awesome teammates and train and race in an amazing country. For me this was an opportunity to "get back on the saddle" after my bike accident in October. Leading up to Costa Rica I had been outside a total of 6 rides and only 2 on my time trial bike so I felt very hesitant when it came to bike handling and honestly just a little scared. I finally was able to get back into swimming about 4 weeks ago and it's been SLOW. I didn't realize how much strength I had lost until I tried swimming again. Humbling to say the least. Fortunately I was able to ride on my trainer and run as soon as I recovered from the surgeries so I felt like my fitness was descent. Olympic distance racing is foreign to me. I've raced this distance once in the last 7 years so I approached it as an opportunity for a high intensity training day. The morning started out with some First Endurance PreRace and Grape EFS to get the motor running. I decided to start on the far right side away from all the other girls to protect my hands from being hit. The field was very strong and the girls took off leaving me literally in the dust. At least the scenery was amazing! I ended up 3rd to last out of the water and was looking forward to the bike and run. The first few miles were filled with lots of hills,some very steep and a small section of gravel to cross. Once we left the resort area the roads were fairly flat and windy. The course was well controlled by local police and the roads were smooth. It was hot and humid so I wanted to make sure I stayed hydrated. I drank a full bottle of First Endurance EFS Grape and had a shot of liquid Vanilla EFS on the bike. When I hit the gravel section coming back into transition I tore a hole in my front tire. Fortunately I was able to stay up and dismount without any major problems. The run course was beautiful. It started along the beach then went up and through the golf course two times. The aid stations were very well supported and had everything we needed. I took another shot of Vanilla EFS about mile 2 of the run and hydrated with fluids from every aid station. I ended up 6 with a total time of 2:20. I really enjoyed the race and I am already looking forward to next year. Thanks to TYR and my Torque speedsuit, KESTREL for my superfast 4000, ZIPP/SRAM for my speedy wheels,components and bars, AVIA for my flashy Bolt racing flats, FIRST ENDURANCE for keeping me hydrated and energized, BETTY DESIGNS for our awesome outfits and TRAKKERS/REV 3 for bringing it all together. Looking forward to Costa Rica 2012!