Racing in Europe: Ironman 70.3 LUXEMBOURG 2014

Swimming in the river Mosel

I honestly think this is my favorite 70.3 race to date! So many things I loved about coming to Luxembourg to swim, bike, run! Honestly, I was a bit nervous (and excited at the same time) to see how racing two 703s only 6 days apart would go but I had nothing to lose! Kraichgau 70.3 on Sunday went well: I made it onto the podium and received my first (tiny) pay check as a Pro! So this was just icing on the cake and a little experiment. 

Whereas only my dad and I went to Kraichgau 70.3, this race was a family affair! Kraichgau is less than an hour from my parents' house and Luxembourg about a 2.5 hour drive. You've got to love racing in Europe!!! I talked my parents and sister into coming to Luxembourg and we turned the race into a camping trip. Growing up that's all we every did. Every vacation we went camping somewhere we hadn't been yet (mostly in France), so this was nothing new. Except that my parents now have a nice trailer and my sister and I have two kids each! Good times. 

family camp

We camped right across the river Mosel from the start. Basically exactly where the above picture was taken. All that separated me from the start line was the river we were going to swim in on race day. But here is the fun part: We were actually camping in Germany and the race was in Luxembourg! In order to get to the other country, we would simply walk across a bridge. BAM! Different country, different language, different culture. My kids LOVED it! And so did I. They held the pre-race meeting in something like 6 different languages! The linguist in me was tempted to go to all of them... Especially because a lot of the pre-race stuff - and even the awards ceremony and banquet -  was on ships floating on the Mosel. Such a fun idea! And smart, of course, because we are in a tiny country and even as is the race took up the entire city already! 

My sister, dad, niece, and my boys

Besides being busy camping with kids and all that entails, I spent the day before the race biking the run course, swimming in a nice outdoor pool right by the start, going to meetings, and trying to figure out the lay of the land. I chose not to drive the bike course because a) I hate driving and b) it looked really complicated and I was worried I would get lost. Turns out that was a smart decision because everyone I talked to that tried to drive it got lost. I like to either know the course really well or not at all. I like surprises and I knew that we were going to bike into France, so either way this was going to be awesome! I mean, how many triathlons do you know of where you bike into a different country and back!?! 

pre-race breakfast 

Another thing I liked about this race was that it took place in the afternoon. The Pro wave didn't go off until NOON! I slept in (as long as one can sleep in camping with kids),  we all had breakfast together, I warmed up, leisurely made my way over to the race, and I didn't have to get into any sort of cold water until it was nice and warm outside! Now that's my kind of racing! Europeans like to party and party late into the night. So a race that starts at 7am and ends in the early afternoon just doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Why not sleep in, race in the middle of the day, and then party all evening? That's exactly what they did in Luxembourg. So much so that we couldn't fall asleep until after midnight in our little tents on the other side of the river. Should've just stayed and partied... 

cousin fun - our idea of partying 

To make  things even better, they rented out the entire outdoor pool adjacent to the start and finish all day. And we're not talking about a little 25-yard pool with a bunch of concrete around it. We're talking at least 3 different pools plus showers, lockers, tons of grass, etc. We were allowed to warm up in the pool for as long as we wanted and then we just walked across the street to the actual swim start. Considering that the Mosel is a very busy river with a lot of boats and ships, this was a very smart idea. 

Swim start 

The Swim - 29:18

We started downstream, then back up, up some more, back down to the start/finish. Again, as in all of my races as a Pro so far, the other girls were fun to hang out with and I enjoyed making some new friends. There was chatting and joking right until the gun went off. And then it was ON! There was hardly any current, and sometimes I wasn't sure if I was swimming upstream or downstream. I had a couple of girls around me and just had fun picking out landmarks. Oh, hey, there's my tent! ... Am I swimming in Germany or in Luxembourg right now? ... This must be the registration boat... And then I exited the river and was carried into and through and out of T1 by a gazillion spectators. Loved it! 

Riding along the Mosel

The Bike - 2:35:25

To say that I was excited for this bike ride is an understatement. I was giddy! And it didn't disappoint! First we did a little out-n-back along the Mosel which was completely flat and a great warm-up. Then we started climbing into the vineyards and rode up and down lots of fun hills. I had a blast! I passed a few girls and got passed as well. It was neither lonely nor crowded. Just perfect. 

Riding away from the river and into the hills 

Beautiful country roads 

Eventually I ended up trading places with Kamila Polak quite a bit, who was wearing a bright green jersey and always easy to spot. Which was a good thing! Because, holy cow, no wonder everyone got lost pre-riding the course. It was tricky! Especially once we got into France. We rode quite a bit on very small country roads (not even sure they would qualify as a road in the US) and the downhills were a bit of a bummer because we had to be rather conservative since there was no way of telling what would be at the bottom or which way we needed to go. But - hey - I like a little adventure and we didn't ever get lost! But, I have to admit, I've lost but all of my technical riding skills since moving to the US. I was quite good at it as a teenager! I remember the guys yelling at me from behind when descending mountains to be more careful. That would never happen now. Now I am the one in the back clutching my breaks. Sigh... 

The last few miles were along the river and flat again and when it was all said and done - I wasn't quite ready to get off my bike but I guess it was time to run! 

The Run - 1:23:18

No, I didn't suddenly turn into a running machine. Although the course was flat and fast and I ran extremely well, it was also a bit short. My guess is that I would've been around a 1:26 if it had been a true 13.1 miles. Which is still a PR! During the race, I had no idea. Coach didn't make me wear a watch of any sort, so right before the start I decided to go completely watch-less. My preferred way of racing a 70.3 is completely by feel. 

Me and my my dad

I ran out of T2 ahead of Kamila who I had gotten away from a bit toward the end of the bike. It was a 3-loop run course which I love. Easy to break down with lots of spectators. While I prefer a single loop on the bike, I am a fan of lots of loops on the run. My dad was everywhere and he truly is the best supportive dude! I love it when he comes to my races and I wish he could do so more often. My mom, sister, and the kids saw me quite a bunch as well and they helped me to dig deep. 

I struggled a bit on the last lap and slowed down just a touch and Kamila passed me but other than that the run was rather uneventful in terms of positioning. When I hit the finish line there were a couple of girl lying on the floor still which surprised me a bit considering that I didn't see anyone close in front of me except for Kamila. Turns out that everyone must've struggled on the last lap and we actually made up some time. I finished in 8th place which I was super happy with but, when I later found out that 4th place was only 90 seconds ahead and I was so close to breaking 4:30, I was a bit bummed and wished I had known. Overall I had no regrets though! It was a fantastic day at the races and I have so many fond memories of that race! 

Overall: 4:31:04, 8th female pro

Post-race was awesome! There were a bunch of food tents in the pool area with REAL food. Good food. And a massage tent. With a sign saying: PLEASE SHOWER OFF BEFORE GETTING A MASSAGE. Makes sense, right? It's rather disgusting for all involved when we plop down on the massage table without cleaning up first. I was a bit confused though as to where I should go for a quick shower and my French isn't the greatest these days (although I do have a minor in French, dangit), so this super nice young guy shows me the outdoor showers. I rinse myself off, come back to the massage tent, and he says: Well, that was short. Are you sure you're clean? And I go: Are you the shower police, or what!? I already had my suspicions and turns out it really was Romain Guillaume, French Ironman super star, and we had a good laugh and shared some stories. For some odd reason I am still always surprised when these young, fast, famous kids turn out to be super friendly, funny, and nice. Best of luck to you, my friend!

Of course there were some nice, hot showers to be found on the pool grounds as well, complete with dozens of naked guys strutting around and all. Racing in Europe truly is the best! ;)

Happy racer, tired kids

And the good times just kept on going! 

By the time I got back to the campground, guess who I found visiting with my parents? My college roommate and good friend, Courtney, who I hadn't seen in years!!! I knew she had just moved from D.C. to Germany a couple of days earlier with her husband and little kids and now lived an hour or so north of where we were camping. I mean: What are the chances?!? We had talked on the phone a couple of times but it was tricky since neither of us had cell phones and she had no idea where the heck she was or how to get around. But - it's Courtney - and so she found a way to get herself and her family to exactly where we were and we got to hang out! Better even: She came back the next to hang some more! I love that girl and am so glad I finally got to meet her kids!



gotta love European-style camping

So, yes, throw in some post-race crepes and tartes aux pommes and you have a weekend that I will never forget and a race that I want to come back to!!! As for the two 70.3s in 6 days, I would say that experiment went rather well and I can't wait to do it again! 

A huge THANK YOU to my family

for putting up with my shenanigans and taking care of the kids for a lot of the weekend! It's no easy task to entertain four kids ages 8 and under all day! Fortunately, this race was very family friendly and they found plenty of things to do right by the finish and on the run course. I sure wish I lived a bit closer and we could hang more often. Love you!

Who doesn't like ice cream on a hot day? 


Sand and water. Fun for hours. 

And also Thank You to my fantastic sponsors:

Coeur Sports - The BEST in women's athletic wear

 T3 Triathlon - My FAVORITE triathlon shop

Fuji Bikes - In LOVE with my Norcom Straight

Zoot Shoes - My shoes of choice since 2008

Cobb Saddles - Most COMFORTABLE saddle ever

Osmo Nutrition - Hydration at its BEST

Tifosi Sunglasses - I wear them every single day!