Well, I know it’s a little late but the laptop melted down and when it got fixed I came to the realization that the software I use to do update my website was goneL. Luckily my wonderful father has hooked me up, and is taking care of getting me back on track.
St. Anthony’s race is an Olympic distance race held in St. Petersburg, FL with about 5,000 of your closest friends. I love this race. I’m not sure why, but I do. I don’t do a ton of really big races, but it’s nice to throw a couple in every year just as a reminder of how much better your competition really is. This race was a 1500 meter swim, 24.6 mile bike, and 6.2 mile run. I did this race back in 09 but the weather was so bad they cancelled the swim, so I had numbers to go off of but wasn’t sure how’d they translate adding a swim to it. The weather a couple days prior was hot humid and the sun was shining, so I figured it was going to be that way race day. I felt okay coming into this race hoping for great results, yet prepared for whatever God threw my way.
The morning of was like déjà vu, I literally walk out of the hotel and the flags were erect and the wind was howling. All I could really do is laugh, I mean really??? I look out at the water to see the white caps and swells that greeted me on the practice swim the day before, and just told myself everyone else had to do the same course so suck it up. As I’m walking to transition I overhear the announcer mention that the swim has been moved and shortened. I laugh some more. This is how I handle uncomfortable situations. I laugh, hysterically. Really they were making the best decision, but the 1/3 of a mile run from the swim to transition was less then appealing. I get transition set up, check out the in’s and out’s of transition, and then head over to meet Heath and Addison. Once I meet up with them Heath check’s out the water and informs me I have lost my mind. I laugh some more and tell him that atleast I’m with 5,000 other crazy people. We make our way over to the swim start, and the wind was just unbelievable. After doing my warm up I kiss the hubby and kid and take off to join my age group. I remember standing on the beach just waiting and ready. Ready to give it my all. The horn blows, and I’m off. The first couple of buoys come pretty quickly. The water we were in was shallow and from time to time you would swim through seaweed which is never fun when you have to remind yourself that’s all it is. I find my stroke in b/w being pummeled by the waves, and am so thankful when I see the last buoy. I make the turn and just have to angle it back into the shore since the current pushes you away from the swim exit. I get on the beach and look at my watch ever so satisfied I’m under the 18 min. (17:45) mark for tough 1000 meter ocean water swim. Now onto the next challenge, hustle as fast as possible to transition and hope my bike rack isn’t empty. It only took me 4:37 to get to transition and back out, ugh! I was quick too!
I hit the bike a little winded yet ready to see what the Cervelo could do on this course. The wind had not died down any, and it felt like it was coming from every direction. I concentrated on my cadence and effort trying not to focus on speed. I pass people left and right, and really just hope I can catch up w/the people who finished before me in the swim. I go back and forth w/one girl in my age group for most of my ride, not ever willing to give up my position. I fought hard for each person I passed. I hit the halfway point on target to have the same bike split as 09, but well aware that the wind could change and possibly slow me down. I know of atleast 3 girls ahead of me on the bike, one of which I have tried to
