On June 22 I was able to represent the USA by racing at the Multi-Sport World Championships in Pontevedra, Spain competing in the Olympic Distance Duathlon. This was my third World Championship, and I’ve been fortunate to have three amazing life experiences and great races in all of them.
This year presented the challenge of climbing mountains that I hadn’t yet had to do at a race. This year I studied what I would need to do, learned how to climb, and then simulated it over and over again. Who would think living in Safety Harbor, Florida you could prepare for the mountains. I did and really embraced the challenge of learning how to climb on the trainer, bridges, and ventured to do Sugar Loaf Mountain near Orlando several times this year. Come to find out Sugar Loaf was worse than what I experienced in Spain.
Each year going into Worlds I went prepared to race my ass off but also, I wanted to live the experience of being in a different part of the world, engulf myself in the Team USA and World Triathlon activities, and have a blast with friends and teammates. I am three for three in this regard.
This time I would be sharing a house in the side of a mountain with friends, and it worked out perfectly! We had a great time together, had a full kitchen, and we had a pool which was great to freshen up the legs and chill after workouts and post-race.
We all arrived later on a Wednesday and on Thursday morning we ventured out on a recognizance run with Team USA on the course. It was beneficial to run on the course and understand all the nuances of the path that took us through parts of the downtown that had so much history.
In the afternoon we took a bike ride on the course. This was the moment of truth. Was it going to feel as bad as it looked on paper? Basically, the course was out 6.2 miles all up hill and then a U-turn back down. For the Olympic Distance race, we would do two laps…two laps of that climb. As we arrived at the top of the climb, I was relieved. It was difficult, but I felt everything I trained for would set me up to have a strong ride. That was a confidence booster for sure!
Friday, we participated in the Parade of Nations as each country would usher the streets in downtown. It was humbling to be with all of our Team USA participants and competitors from around the world. I caught up with several teammates that I may only see once or twice a year at a National or World Championship. I had an incredible sense of pride marching through the endless crowd representing my country. I often think back as an 11-year-old watching one of my most memorable sports moments…the 1980 USA Hockey Team beating the Soviets and then winning gold. There was so much patriot pride then and I never dreamed I would be representing my country in a sporting event. Gives me goose bumps…I don’t take any of this for granted and I am honored to sport the USA gear on game day!
Saturday I cheered Celia, Captain, and Nate as they raced in the Sprint Distance. This gave me good intel on transition and course nuances I observed. They all had great races and immediately after, I got my pre-race run completed and headed back to home base. In the afternoon Liz and I checked our bikes into transition and then called an early night to rest before our race. Prior to bed Liz came down the stairs and alerted me we did not pick up our timing chip while checking our bikes in. I contacted the head of USAT on location, Tim Yount, and he reassured me we would be ok in the morning to pick up. Whew…
Race morning came by quick. I had a good warm up feeling fresh but not poppy. But that was ok. I was fresh and hungry. I lined up in a large wave of two age groups, 50-54 and 55-59 (mine). It was the largest field I’ve participated in at a World Championship.
The race consisted of a 10k run (4-2.5k laps) – 24.8 mile bike (2-12.4 mile laps) – 5k run (2-2.5k laps). It was a beautiful and challenging course with the run having more significant downhills than up and the bike having both 2 significant climbs and descends.
The horn went off at 8:12 AM and the weather was warm but not hot yet. In a typical 10k run for me, the hardest miles are 2-3 and then I really settle into a good numb type of rhythm where my legs and cardio are working together. I felt strong all the way through and even though the run course wasn’t as challenging as at the National Championships two weeks earlier, I beat that time by 1:25 and :12 per mile pace. I was feeling great about that.
I also heard I was in 22nd place after the run…wow, that was a great run for me and I was in 22nd place…what an incredible field to be a part of… Going into the race I knew based on the size of the race, my age in the age group and where I placed the last two years, 11th, and 10th, respectively, that a top 15 finish would be a good goal but as always, I focus on my race plan, what I can control, and fight like hell in the race to have the best day I can have and then the chips fall where they fall. Also, and I am quite surprised by this, but my bike has been my strength at the World Championships. I would have thought the Europeans would better me there, but it has been the opposite so being in 22nd after the first run, I knew I wanted to do as much damage as I could on the bike to gain some spots back.
Off on the bike I went. The course was uphill with some significant climbs for 6.2 miles and then right back down flying for the 6.2 miles…then repeat for two laps total. As always I was somewhat gassed with an elevated heart rate to start the bike after the 10k run but I felt strong…stronger than normal early in the ride. I began to pick off a lot of racers constantly looking at their calves to see what age group they were in. I was encouraged as I started to pass gentleman in my age group. Knowing the course from the recon ride three days earlier, I attacked the downhills as well zipping around corners topping out at 42.4 mph at one point. It felt GREAT!
I was also picking my spots to take on nutrition and hydration and when I came around at the end of lap one I heard the yell of, ’16th!!!’ Woah, that was a shot of adrenaline! I moved up six spots on lap one and was eager to pass more in lap two. I felt even better on the second lap but crazy enough, I didn’t catch one more in my age group. That was ok in my head…I knew I just kicked ass and probably created some additional space on those I had already passed.
I had a quick transition and headed out for the final two-lap 5k run. As I was approaching the end of lap one, I heard, ’16th!!!’ once again but also added was intel with the people all around me. About a quarter way through lap two, I gentleman from Portugal in my age group passed me up the one significant climb and put maybe 15 meters on me as we got to the top and around a U-turn that closely followed. I got in my head to try to re-attach to him quickly and then make a move on the downhill as I was effective on them in all the previous laps.
I got on his ass and as we began the downhill, I sped by him for a lengthy period before we flattened out and continued on around several turns and out to the final long road stretch adjacent to the river. He hadn’t caught me and I was still hanging on to 16!!! I picked up the pace as I knew I had maybe 800 meters left. I took a final turn into and onto the track where we had to run the final 200 meters. I glanced back and he was about 20 meters behind me. I sprinted through the finish holding on to the 16th spot!!! I was elated!
Then a funny observation occurs. I see the gentleman from Portugal who passed me and I ultimately passed going downhill was on the other side of the finish line as he had to then start lap 2! Ha!!! He helped me so much though as I fought like hell to beat him while I only finished ahead of the next racer from Britain by 11 seconds!
It was an incredible race and as I reflect on each phase of the race I see:
- Run 1 = A – I felt in control, ran :12 faster per mile than at Nationals two weeks earlier. It was a more forgiving run than Nationals, but I was moving well in control setting myself up for a solid bike.
- Bike = A+ – This was the most power I have put out in a race in my life and doing it at a World Championship was special. I had the 11th best bike on the day and this vaulted me to the 16th position from 22 after the first run.
- Run 2 = A- – The pace was ok but I put the pedal down in the last mile and hung on without losing a spot that I gained on the bike leading to the 16th place finish.
- Mental = A+ – I really was happy how I executed the game plan from nailing the first run, driving up and down the hills aggressively on the bike, and then working strategy on the hills when I started to really hurt to hang on. I never lost focus in the race and for a 2 hour and 20-minute venture that I am very proud of.
I had so much fun while also working my ass off on this trip. It is a life memory and so happy to spend it with friends and Team USA.
Now to breathe a little before putting in a big training block heading towards Long Course Nationals in September.
– Add Health to Your Life
The Healthy Giraffe 
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