ITU Aquathlon World Championships - Auckland

Auckland, New Zealand

One the best parts of being a triathlete is having the opportunity to travel to amazing places to compete in races, then taking time afterward to do some exploring.  Last year I got to see Beijing, China, which is a place that I likely never would have visited were it not for the opportunity to compete there at ITU World Championships.  This year, I got to go to New Zealand and had the trip of a lifetime!

Walking in the parade of nations

The atmosphere at the World Championships is like no other race I've ever done.  You walk in the parade of nations, surrounded by your teammates, and athletes from all over the world.  People line the streets just to watch to you pass by and cheer and wave!  You may even get the opportunity to meet some of your favorite professional athletes.  I got to meet Jonathon Brownlee.  Watching one of the U23 races, he rode up on his bike and hung out for about half an hour cheering for team GB.  He told us all about Alistair having to get his appendix taken out before his trip to Brazil (awesome!)

me, Jonathon Brownlee, and Charles

Last year Chris "Macca" McCormack came the same after party I was attending and we had a beer together.  

SO, the race!  This year I opted out of bringing along a bike and competed only in the Aquathlon.  It was a 1000 meter swim and 5k run. The water in Auckland Bay was the coldest I have ever swam in, about 55 degrees, and only my second salt water swim.  It was tricky course as the tides changed the direction of the currents depending on your time of day.  At 2pm for my race, there was a strong current into the wharf.  SO swimming out was difficult, and at the end of wharf, the water was extremely choppy from the high waves.  

Of course that means the water pushed you into the finish, so the swim into the platform was quick!  My swim was only okay.  I think I swim much better without my wetsuit, but clearly can't skip that in 55 degree water!!  I came out of the water in 27th position.  

swim start in Auckland

The run was a completely flat course, with strong wind drafts near the water.  I had a great run despite pulling my calf with a mile and half to go.  (I pulled it 10 days before the race in Atlanta and had been nursing it - it got the job done as best it could).  I posted the 10th fastest run time in my AG moving up to 21st place.    Charles' wave started 30 minutes before mine and he was nearly finished before I started the swim.  I was thrilled to see him when I exited the water and started on my run. He placed 13th in his AG at his 4th World Championships.

Me and Charles, after the race

Cheering on my fellow Team USA members

Last year on the 13 hour flight to Beijing, Analise and I sat next to Geoffrey Kennedy, one of Team USA's paratriathlete competitors.  I was thrilled to see him again this year!  If you are need of some inspiration, I recommend going to watch the Paratriathlon races.  These athletes have the most incredible stories and overcome unbelievable obstacles to be here.

Geoffrey, Bronze medal winner for the USA

After the race I spent 2 weeks traveling all over New Zealand.  It was fantastic to see people everywhere we went wearing gear from the World Championships to identify them as other athletes doing the same thing.  We ran in to athletes from Canada, the Netherlands, Great Britain  etc. all easily identifiable with the same ITU hoody I was wearing!

kayaking to the Tasman Sea

Kayaking in the Milford Sound

Sunset on the beach near Dunedin

Lake Marian

The Blue pools

En route to the Milford Sound - near Lord of The Rings filming locations

playing with the Kea's

Scenic view on our drive 

on the way to the Milford Sound in the fog

At the Champagne pool (my photo contest entry photo for the Enterprise!) 

And so, my 2012 season has come to an end.

Looking ahead at 2013 I only have a few races picked so far.  First, the New Orleans Rock 'n Roll Half Marathon, The USAT National Championsips (of course!), and the ITU World Championships in London in both the Aquathlon and Sprint Distance events.  .

Lake Lanier Island Sprint, what do you do when your race plan falls apart?

I wrote this blog before I left for New Zealand and forgot to hit to 'publish' button.  So here it is now and stay tuned for the race story of the world championships coming up later in the week....

The Lake Lanier Sprint was my last scheduled triathlon for the season, and the last race I planned to do before the World Championships in Auckland, New Zealand.  In addition to that, I would get to do this race with my awesome roommate Olivia, who would be experiencing her first triathlon.  So I had a lot of reasons for wanting to do this race.  It's a short one - 400m swim, 12 mile bike, 5k run, on a course I know well, and placed 5th overall on last year.  But, what I didn't anticipate was coming down with a viral upper respiratory infection 5 days before the race.

 What started as a slight sore throat - grew into a raging sickness that had me completely out of training for the next 3 days.  Though my sore throat began to get better, other symptoms began to add up, coughing up a thick fluid from my lungs, congestion, fever.  With the race looming, 2 days out I went for a 3 mile run and barely held 9:30/mile pace.  One day away, I rode the bike and run course (about an hour on the bike -easy) with Lauren Lacey, and squeezed in an easy 20 minutes of swimming.

 

Race eve, I had completely lost my voice and my cough was continually getting worse.  I went to bed not knowing what to expect in the morning.  And when I did wake up, it was clear I was worse than the night before, my cough was productive, my throat burning, I had no voice.  A shot of Tylenol cold and flu, an allergy pill, some Mucinex, and we were in the car heading to Lake Lanier.

The thought in my head, "How am I going to race like this?" but then, I really just want to be here for Olivia, and for Lauren, worst case I could drop out if I'm really struggling.  So at this point, there's no race plan, it's just see what my body can do like this.

Running with my inhaler as a precaution due to my struggling lungs.

Trust your training.  Trust your coach.  

Swim - I'm lining up in the water and cannot believe I'm about to get in it.  Lauren and Olivia are already in the water.  3... 2... 1... Go.  And I find myself pulling away from the pack.  Is this really happening?  I'm the 7th or 8th person out of the water.  Most of them, I pass in transition and head out on the bike in 3rd AG.  I'm coughing.  I feel terrible.  Dig deep.

The bike - I'm coughing, but holding a steady pace, I see Olivia and squeak out some support with what little voice I can find.  To add a little excitement, as I was coming into the last three miles on the bike, there is a turn where we have to cross and intersection.  For some reason the police allowed a car to pull out in front of me and nearly struck me, forcing to slam on my breaks and nearly crash.  A race official nearby on a motorcycle came to check on me and be sure I was ok and told me the police should not have let the car through.  Never a dull moment!  I hold my place on the bike and transition quickly to the run.  RUN - I'm forgetting I'm sick now, and tear through the next three miles, working my way up the pack and into 3rd overall.    Unbelievable.  I had a fantastic race and finished in 3rd overall.  Soon after, the sickness took over me again and I couldn't speak for the next few days.  I was sick for the next two weeks.

At the awards ceremony

Olivia did amazing in her first triathlon.  She was one of the first girls out of the water with an incredibly strong swim.  She muscled through the bike and the run into 13th place in her age group.  An incredible natural talent, I can't wait to see what she does next season.  She had a small set back as well, having to unexpectedly get her wisdom teeth out 2 weeks before the race.  (Look for a blog from Olivia on her first race experience - coming up!)

I love how these two photos capture Olivia in the run section of the course and leaving the water to transition in the same moment of her stride!!

Olivia killing it on the bike!

Lastly, I can't forget to mention my crazy teammate and training buddy Lauren.  As coach Dan put it "Peas in a pod, and trouble!"   Lauren ran to a second place AG finish, with a time 6 minutes faster than the winning time in her AG the previous year.  Tough field out there!  The crazy part, she did it with a stress fracture in her foot.  Yup, crazy.  So probably neither of us should have been racing, but you can never predict what a day will bring.  It was Lauren's fastest 5k to date.

Lauren (right) coming in after the swim next two Megan D. (race winner and ranked #1 AG in the Southeast region)  then, Lauren on the bike.  

Lauren on the run with her broken foot. 

And, two Team EC athletes, shining up the podium despite our illnesses.  

Not to say I would recommend anyone racing while as sick as I was, OR with a broken foot.  But this race showed me I can race under most circumstances.  And the you have to trust your training, my body was prepared for it despite the virus.  Thanks coach ;) 

And now, off the World Championships!!!  Here I come New Zealand!