Sarah Borst Jarvis

(Huge thanks to the very talented and kind Jeff Kapic and Larry Rosa  for the wonderful pictures of this unforgettable day!) I had heard so many great things about this race that it was definitely on my bucket list ! And I figured this was a good year to give it a try. I can still only afford to go to races that are within (reasonable) driving distance and this is one of them! Since it's more reasonably priced than Ironman brand events, I was able to talk a few friends into it as well. All of which, unfortunately, had to bail except for Karen. That said, I was rather close to bailing out myself.  Training over in Germany hadn't gone nearly as well as I would've liked. I had two great races,  Luxembourg 70.3 and Kraichgau 70.3 , but then things went downhill for various reasons. In the end, I just decided that our short time with family was more important than ideal training for my upcoming races. Yes, I consider 5 weeks every other year 'short'. A...

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 t...

As you can tell: Spectators galore! They were ALL OVER the course. Love it.  Racing in Europe is just plain awesome ! And the husband has GOT to figure out a way to get a post-doc over there next year. I am dying to live back home (or in any of the surrounding countries, preferably a warm one) for a few years and being able to race my little heart out all over the place and mostly within a few hours of my house!  Kraichgau is a good one! This year it was already organized by Ironman but still run under the Challenge banner. Don't ask. It's complicated.  Kraichgau is an area very close to my childhood home and often when I go on long rides I come through its villages and beautiful countryside. So to race there is a no-brainer! My dad came with me because he loves this sport and he loves me. Racing is so much easier when you have a (what Witsup calls) supportive dude . My dad makes a great supportive dude! Last year my whole family came to watch and cheer bu...

T3 Women's Team at Sand Hollow Reservoir. I am the one with the Coeur hat .  This was a big one ! Definitely the first highlight of the season! Not only was the St. George 70.3 the US Pro Championships with an absolutely stacked field but it was also my first race as a Professional *. Some might wonder why I chose this race for my Pro debut**. One of hardest courses out there with one of the deepest fields. Well, let me tell you: I love this race. St. George is in one of my favorite places on earth. It's like a hometown race! I lived and raced in Utah for over 10 years before moving to Flagstaff and I know a ridiculous amount of people at this race. And to top it off: The harder the course and/or the conditions, the better! I love a good challenge .  There was simply no way I wasn't going to line up at this race!  Even with there being a legitimate chance that I would be dead last Pro.  *This still sounds weird and in some ways wrong. I ...