Friday, June 14, 2013

Galena Race Recap

Sooo...it's been awhile since I've updated my blog.  It's happening this year, end of story.  Here we go...

January 1st started my training for IM Wisconsin, since then I've dealt with some minor injuries (that seemed life ending at the time) but major mental roadblocks with training and racing.  I'm beyond Type A, total perfectionist, and incredibly hard on myself (aren't all triathletes??).  This is nothing new to me, but I've taken that to another level this year.  I had what I consider to be an amazing season last year, and truth be told I'm scared that I won't live up to my "expectations" this year.  Thank god that I have a coach who has reminded me more times that I should need that this is a sport I truly LOVE.  It's not just a hobby, it's my lifestyle.  Training and racing are FUN for me, time to let go of expectations and just enjoy the sport.

Leads me to Galena...I had a great race there last year.  My training at the beginning of this year didn't go nearly as well as I would have liked.  An achilles injury stopped me from running for a few weeks, so I wasn't super confident with the fitness I was going into this race with.  Instead of beating myself up about it I realized how lucky I was to just be racing.  I was going into this race with zero expectation of my results, I just wanted to work HARD...so happy my body was back in a place where I could!

We headed to Galena Friday to check in to our hotel, pick up packets, get setup in 2 different transitions, figured out the shuttle situation in the morning (I love this race but it is a logistic nightmare), and finally had some dinner and went to bed.  Race morning started super smooth, woke up, had breakfast, made it to the shuttle...then realized once we were headed to T1 I forgot my Garmin...how in the world did I do this??  Looks like I'm racing on feel today which is something I've never done.  Looking back I'm super happy with how I handled this ha!

I do the duathlon at Galena every year because I hate, like HATE cold water and this race is traditionally cold, I'm such a baby.  Funny the last 2 years I have done this race it's been really mild.  Oh well, instead I choose to run down a hill for a mile, then run right back up it before I get on my bike...it always sounds like a good idea when I register.

After I watched Matt's wave go off I went up for my warm up and made it to the start line.  I knew I was racing all week, and obviously all morning, but I didn't feel like I was.  Even while at the start line I was talking with one of my friends about how I STILL didn't feel like it was time to race.  Once the gun went off that was all over.  I got out in front with the first pack of girls, about 5 of us, and ran hard down the hill.  After the turnaround I put my head down, pumped my arms, and chugged up the hill.  Those hill workouts with Jen Harrison and Dave Walters in sub zero temps pay off on this course!  I made it back to T1 thinking I was 6th overall.  On to the bike...this is my weak link and something I've been working on.  I tried to keep my focus on working through the hills, catching as many girls as I could, and not let any go by me.  Run #2...straight uphill for another mile...REALLY!!!!  And it was HOT...which I secretly love and hate :)  After that first terrible mile or so I just worked...I had no idea how fast I was going, how long I had been racing, I just knew I couldn't put any more effort in to that run...I let it all out.  I was SO happy when I crossed that finish line...not because of a time or a place, but for just having fun and suffering.  I didn't freak out without my Garmin, I actually think I raced harder...sometimes I hold myself back based on the numbers I see off it.  So overall...well executed race.

Before starting the process of collecting all of our goodies from T2 I decided to stop by the results tent since I didn't even know what my overall time was.  I couldn't believe it...I not only won my age group, but took 4th overall!!  Even better than last year :)   This never gets old...


Time to go out and celebrate = eat a TON of food!  I'm not even going to list everything we ate, it included a lot of steak and an expensive trip to the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory...so delicious.  We clean up nicely right??

Before...


After...


Luckily we had a 3 hour "recovery" aka hilly ride Sunday morning to work off all that food.  It also decided to rain on us for most of that ride, but it did get super sunny and hot right at the time we finished...awesome.  Why am I always filthy after long rides?  This picture doesn't do it justice...I'm such a boy.

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