Pictures from Costa Rica 2011

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!

REV 3 Cedar Point on September 12, 2010 was a huge success!!! Big shout out to the REV 3 team on a fantastic race and venue. First class all the way! This was my first race as a pro and what a great experience it was. The people of Sandusky and Cedar Point were so supportive, the venue was lots of fun and the cousre was awesome and very well supported. REV 3 truely did a fantastic job. The water was quite rough the days leading up to the race but race morning the winds changed and the water was calm for the day. The course was 2 U shaped legs with a beach run half way. My swim time was slow but I felt strong throughout the swim and great when I got out. As soon as I got on my bike I knew it was going to be a windy day. The bike course was very scenic and well supported with aid stations every 10 miles. There were people all over the course cheering the racers on. I came into T2 in third and knew I had my work cut out for me. Heading out on the run I had people everywhere cheering for me. My family was right there when I came out of transition and I was able to give my son a high five and it gave me an extra umph. I have never had so much support from other triathletes out on the course. Again, the course was very well supported with aid staions every 1-1.5 miles. I stayed in 3rd place until about mile 17 and then was able to make a pass and move into 2nd. I was able to stay there until about mile 21 and then got passed. I ended up 3rd and was extemely happy with my first race as a pro. I want to give a shout out to my TRAKKERS teammates who were rockstars on and off the course. If they werent racing they were volunteering and helping make the race a huge success. I look forward to the next chapter...Whatever that may be!!!

Cedar Point Full Rev September 12, 2010

Big shout out to REV 3 KNOXVILLE. What a great event. This was my first REV 3 race and I'm still talking about it. I also got to meet some of my TRAKKERS teammates. Cool bunch of people who really know what this sport is all about. Having fun!!! Oh ya, and looking good in GREEN! I was planning on racing the half but 2 weeks before decided to switch to the Olympic race (haven't done one since 2003). What a different experience. Hats off to all those fast twitch folks. My body is made up of SLOWtwich fibers and speed is not my strength. That being said I had a great time and loved the course. The swim was mellow and warm. The bike was awesome. Very technical and lots of up and down. In fact so much so I dropped my chain at the top of a hill around mile 18 and my chain dropped into my brake and forced my brake to one side and I fishtailed for what felt like forever. OOPS. Had to get off my bike and try to fix my brake and get the chain back on. Fortunately nothing was too messed up. I was able to fix the chain but I could not get the brake off my back wheel. Glad there were only about 6 miles left. I haven't done that in a long time. Good lesson about shifting at the right time. A few miles later I came upon a rider who was hit by a car. I thought it was a TRAKKERS teammate. Stopped to make sure he was okay and help was coming. The volunteers were all over it and had contacted medics. By the time I got back to transition I was happy to see my running shoes. Great run course. The only thing is it was over before I knew it. Had a blast and so glad I made the trip. Going east is so hard with the time change but definitely worth it. Can't wait for Quassy in a few weeks.

Only a few days until REV 3 Knoxville. I am looking forward to meeting all the TRAKKERS folks and racing with everyone. This will be my first Olympic distance race since 2004. The team challenge should make things even more interesting. I will post pictures from the race. Good luck to everyone racing. GO TRAKKERS!!!