70.3 World Championship

70.3 World Championship - Bike

Good thing there weren't any hills in the lake (swim report here) because once we hit dry land there was not a flat spot on the entire bike or run course! I heard that there was something like 5,000 ft of climbing on the bike. Bring it on! I am a fan of hills on the bike. The more - the better. I had already had the pleasure of racing on it during the RAGE triathlon back in April and fell in love with the course - smooth roads, little traffic, big rollers, fast downhills. What's not to like?

I passed Beth right at the beginning and then Sarah Piampiano and I thought: "Holy cow! I am in front of these super stars who are supposed to win this thing! Yikes!" Of course I knew it was not going to last but it sure was fun! Sarah passed me back just a little while later and she was gone. When Beth passed me at mile 15 I figured I would have to let her go as well but I was wrong! We were actually in close proximity for most of the ride and I was stoked. Beth is a super nice gal and always had something nice to say when she passed.

I really tried hard to stay on top of my nutrition and even purchased a bento box the day before the race. I never thought the day would come that I would carry a picnic basket on my TT bike. Well, it has. I was having a blast cruising along the beautiful shore of Lake Mead, basking in the sun, and choosing which treat to consume next. The race photographer even caught me with my hand in the lunch box:

Once I hit mile 45, I have to admit I was pretty done. I had been pushing hard and was getting tired. I also assumed that the last 10 miles into Henderson would be mostly downhill but I was so wrong. It was either up or a false flat. I actually started looking forward to the run...

Finally T2 came into sight and a nice volunteer grabbed my bike, but not before I ripped the Garmin off and stuffed it into my chest pocket:

Some good-looking dude following me with a camera. Sweet!

I had good intentions of finishing this race report today but it is just not happening. Time flies when I write and it is getting late... Sorry! You will have to stay tuned for what happened on the run. At least I hope you do!

Comments

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