Becoming a triathlete and doing a bit of open water swimming has given me a whole new appreciation for large bodies of water. I knew the Great Lakes were called “Great” for a reason, but until last weekend I never fully appreciated how HUGE and BEAUTIFUL they really are!
This pre-race pic of my Dynamo Multisport teammates April and Erin looks like it could have been taken on a Caribbean beach. Nope! That’s a half hour South of Milwaukee! Amazing!
Swim – 1.2 miles – 25:40
A few minutes before my start, I watched the pro men charge into the waves of Lake Michigan. Most of them actually ran through the shallow water to the first buoy, more than 200 meters off-shore.
Naturally, I assumed I would do the same. Wrong! Four steps past the gun my poor short legs were struggling against the surf so I just decided to get horizontal and swim. It was a little weird to breath and see everyone around me running, but I didn’t seem to be losing too much ground, so I just went with it!
Once past the turn buoy we headed south, parallel to the shore. Normally I like choppy water conditions, but the lake was really churning and as hard as I was swimming, I still felt like I was at the mercy of Mother Nature. The power of water is incredible!
Thanks to some diligent sighting and positive thinking, I did eventually make it back on dry land, happy to be leading the pro women’s race and ELATED to get on the bike!
Bike – 56 miles – 2:27:24
Turns, turns, turns! The Racine bike course is full of them! Throw in some mixed road conditions and a few well-timed gusts of wind, and a relatively flat bike course gets a lot more interesting!
I started the ride pretty hard, trying to hold on to my lead as long as possible. All too soon, Jenna Parker flew by me, followed by Angela, Cat, April, and Rinny, all riding super strong. Yes, I felt a little like I was riding backwards. But all of those women are tremendous cyclists and triathletes. And when the former World Champion rides by you, you don’t get discouraged, you try to go with her!!
I used each pass as an opportunity to have a world-class rabbit, pulling me into T2 with a solid bike split and setting me up for a great run!
Run – 13.1 miles – 1:25:15
I came off the bike in 6th, but once on the run I was quickly passed by ITU superstar Barbara Riveros. Knowing I was running in 7th and essentially “out of money” I decided to throw the pacing plan out the window and just go with Barbara. Why not see how long I can hang with an Olympian?
So how long did I last? Almost five miles!!! Long enough to move up into 5th place!
The double out-and-back run course follows a beautiful route with views of Lake Michigan, gorgeous lakeside homes, and even a quick jaunt through the back of the Racine Zoo. It also gave me a good glimpse of the women behind me, and they were coming up fast!
The day before the race I was being overly chatty at breakfast and struck up a conversation with a nice woman named Ruth from Minnesota. And wouldn’t you know, at the final turn around, with three miles to go, who is running me down? Ruth from Minnesota!!
With a little laugh at the irony, I hit the gas and ran hard, determined not to be caught by anyone, even nice people who listen to me ramble on at breakfast!
Finish – 5th place PRO Female – 4:22:24
Once across the line, life was a blur of happiness. I reunited with my parents, who are my biggest cheerleaders all the time, but especially awesome on-course. I unexpectedly caught up with Jessica, an all3sports.com retail alum who’s recently relocated to Madison, and Greg, the owner of CollegeSwimming.com (I’m a huge fan of his website, especially when the Dawgs are ranked high!).
And I purposefully had a Georgia Swimming Reunion with fellow Bulldog alum Randy Lam, who also had a great race, proving that 400 IM Group really did prepare us for everything!
I also got an early birthday present when I got to represent Dynamo in my new GREEN dress on the podium!
Huge thank you to my incredible sponsors:
TYR – the Freak of Nature wetsuit is especially awesome in rough waters!
Mizuno – my Ronins carried me five miles with an Olympian!
SOAS – super cute and comfy kits make for fast races and flattering race day pics!
all3sports.com – great races are easy with the best gear and nutrition!
Swift Carbon – I am officially in LOVE with the Neurogen!
Albopads – bike made it to Racine and back without a scratch!
110% Play Harder – Flat Out socks to keep the legs fresh pre-race, Juggler Knickers for post-race recovery!
And of course, MAJOR thank you to my coach, Matthew Rose, my swim coach, Maria Thrash, my bike guy, Allen Heaton, and all of my amazing Dynamo Multisport teammates, friends and family cheering from home. You guys make my job so much fun!
More Fun Pics!
Erin and I catching up with the locals
Hanging with Dad Pre-Race
5th Place Pro!
Celebrating my 28th birthday with my folks!
