70.3 Galveston, a Canadian's U.S. Pro Championship!

The theme of this race came from my friend and training partner Sonja. She sent me an email (below) the day of the race, which I read upon waking:

Here's to limiting all mistakes, racing with a clear mind and a soul full of fire. You have done everything you need to do. Time to let it rip. We will be watching and cheering from Colorado. Go Mighty Mouse, take them down. -Son

My coach says the same thing to me almost daily but his words are a bit more blatant: "Don't be a f*^%-tard!" he'll yell. He's never been politically polite and he tends to opt for negative reinforcement. But since it seems to be working, I'll accept these faults!

When I look back at this race report in future years, I think this race will mean more to me than it does now. It'll show, I think, a turning point in my confidence (and career) as a professional athlete. During the swim and throughout the run, I kept telling myself: I belong. Now I am certain of that.

My race recap:

Unlike most race mornings, when I climbed out of bed, I was still extraordinarily groggy. (Even after two naps the day before and two solid nights of sleep.) Three cups of high-octane coffee didn't even work its usual magic. I actually laid on the couch for a while and fell back asleep. It was less than an hour to race time! Thankfully, we were just a 10-minute drive from the race site, so when I was pulled from the couch I didn't panic. I probably should have, however. We arrived in T1 just 20-minutes before the gun was to go off. I was the last pro there.

I couldn't understand what was going on within me. I'm usually a nervous wreck, as I had been the week before. And this race had one of the most stacked fields I've gone up against! I would have worried about lack of energy but I was so tired I couldn't even generate worry. I've never yawned on a starting line before (while floating in water!) but here I was now. I had to slap myself a few times to see if I could get into a fight-or-flight state. It didn't help. But once the gun went off, my body just reacted, even though my mind was still in a fog.

We weren't allowed a warm-up before the swim but it didn't seemed to hurt. I found a solid rhythm right away and managed to stay just behind the front pack. That was a first.

Entering T1, I was stoked to hear I was a mere three minutes behind Mary Beth Ellis (one of the sport's fastest fish). No more swim warm-ups for me! :)

On the bike we were fortunate enough to have gale-like winds on such a pancake-flat course. If the conditions had been docile, I'm sure the results would not have been in my favor. Thank you Mother Nature! Coach had chosen a disc wheel for me and I was being thrown everywhere. But after five miles or so, the road traveled slightly inland and the houses kept some of the winds at bay. Almost all of the houses sit on stilts in Galveston, but the winds don't seem to slide under them. I'd end up passing everyone ahead of me, overtaking race leader Mary Beth Ellis not long before I heard a deep rumble coming up from behind, in the form of Karin Thuerig. Holy moly! That's what a real cyclist can do. I had to laugh at her speed, it was so fast. The 20-30mph winds obviously didn't faze the Olympic bronze medalist.

Chuckie reminded me that in life you aren't afforded many opportunities to compare yourself to the best, and Karin provided this to all of us in the race. (On a side note I'm equally as excited to see what an Olympic gold medalist, Kristin Armstrong, can do on the bike come May 14th, when I compete at the Leadman Epic 250 triathlon!) Armstrong beat Thuerig that fateful day in Beijing in the women's time-trial.

I tried to stay within striking distance to Thuerig but she quickly created a time gap of about two minutes going into the second transition area.

The run was basically a case of, "out of sight, out of mind." There were four three-plus-mile loops and I ran afraid because I knew that behind me a Cat was on the hunt, as were some other great runners like Mary Beth Ellis, Kelly Williamson and Desiree Ficker. Meanwhile, Karin was gone! I made up the difference between her and I by mile 4, just as Cat (Morrison) caught us both. Cat cruised on by while Karin hung there, stalking me just seconds behind. My coach kept reminding me to grab some drinks and some cups of ice. It was getting hotter by the minute and finishing was going to be tough enough, let alone racing. I would hang on to finish second, just half a minute or so ahead of Karin and about three minutes down of Cat.

Ultimately, my biggest inspiration during the race wasn't the chance for a big check or a high placing but in watching a young blind competitor compete. He and his helper had racked their tandem just a few bikes away and he would start the swim with the professional women. I was honored to receive a hug before race start and it would carry me throughout the day, and even now when I think about it. I never found out the young man's name, but I won't forget him nonetheless. (4-15-11: I've since found out the young man's name is Brandon Adame of Houston. His companion was Nigel Willerton,)

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I had a great home stay with Hud and Christine Hopkins, right in Galveston. ("What in the hell kind of name is Hud?" Chuckie asked me in his best Texas accent. "Seems to me a guy named Hud is gonna put us to work on his ranch! Or kill us!") Thanks Hud and Christine for all the laughs. I'm not kidding when I say that my stomach got the best workout of the entire trip!

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Lastly, I know pros normally never write about this sort of stuff, but in the past eight days I've been fortunate enough to see what it really means to be a professional. My income is proving I can earn a living. But the income has never been the reason I compete. I do so out of a pure love for competition, competing both against others and against myself (my toughest competitor). I know I represent more than myself out there and I am truly honored to have the names I do on my Pearl Izumi race kit! Triathlon can be a viable profession and up until now, I was never certain of it. From here forward, I am fully committed to the sport. I couldn't ask for a better job!

Thanks Ron from Punk Rock Racing who provided the plane tickets; and congratulations on finishing your first 50-miler, in Chuckie's hometown of Auburn. I'm guessing there will be more, including a 100-miler someday!

Kemah Olympic Triathlon by Onurleft Productions (onurleft.com)

Personally, I find race reports absolutely mundane and nauseating. To keep with that trend, here's another one!



In the past two years I've raced in just two Olympic-distance events: Boulder Peak and The Kemah Olympic-distance Triathlon, which took place the day before yesterday. In each of the two races I found great success. But even aside from my successes, I loved every minute of these events (partly because they're over before I can even blink or think!).



To sum up this weekend's race in one sentence: The Kemah Triathlon is a cut above all other triathlons I've participated in, with the exception of perhaps Abu Dhabi. The promoters, Onurleft Productions, work hard (day and night, in fact) to make sure things run smoothly, and that they do. Everything from the race itself to pre-race organization was outstanding.

The perks:

1. The pre-race bag was actually a nifty embossed cardboard box, complete with handle, that reminded me of my school days and the lunch boxes I used to carry. Although it's cardboard, it's definitely a keeper.

2. Optional bike-racking the day before the race. I hate it when it's mandatory to rack your bike 24 hours in advance, as I tend to worry that moisture could wreak havoc on the electronic components. But everyone I've spoken to who's ever used Shimano Di-2 assured me rain has never, ever been a problem. I wouldn't know: Tucson doesn't get rain!

3. Jumping off a boat! This made navigation simple, to say the least! It was a new experience for me riding on a paddle boat and then jumping into the Gulf, aiming to swim back to shore. I was nervous…very nervous. But the exhilaration was worth it!

4. The red carpet all the way from the water's edge to T1 (at least quarter-mile long! My feet were grateful but not grated!). There was so many people taking pictures and cheering! It was as if I was on the red carpet at the Oscars, though my outfit wasn't quite up to spiff.

5. Exceptional on-site race organization with a police officer at every corner. I felt very secure hammering as hard as my heart (and head) would allow.

6. Running the steep bridge…twice! I love hills and to have an obstacle like a quarter-mile-long bridge--twice--was much to my liking!

7. The post-race food was outstanding…from pizza to the most appetizing healthy food you could take in (I partook in both!).

My race:

It was one of those days where everything "clicked." It all started very early, at 3:30am. My homestay is situated in Galveston (45-minutes south) so we were out the door by 4am. On the way I drank more coffee than I had in the past couple of years, as coach finally allowed me "the poison," as he calls it. I call it the elixir of the gods! (Now more than ever!) Once at race site, I set my transition gear up and then made my way over to the paddle boat, about a quarter-mile walk through Kemah itself. Everyone (1,000 triathletes and the boat's captain) had to be loaded on the boat, but surprisingly it went without a hitch. It was the single most unique experience in my short sporting career.



The pro men were the first to go. I watched them diligently, to see how the current affected them. I would definitely have to swim toward 10 o'clock in order to go straight. The other competitors counted us down and I had no choice but to dive in. I was nervous and a little panicky. But I loved it!



I got into a groove right away and swam with another competitor the whole way. We used one another to sight and draft. It actually was a bit longer than 1.5k (the boat drifted while the motor was shut down before the start). Once on shore, I was assisted by some volunteers and then made the journey along the long red carpet to the transition area. Right away I knew I was in good knick because my legs were moving fast and effortlessly.

I saw Chuckie as he yelled out, "you're 2:30 down from who you should be worried about." I was stoked! I was confident I could make up the difference on the bike.



The ride had three out-and-backs and I couldn't believe how quick it went! It was a fast, flat course, with some of the smoothest roads I've been on (then again, any road is smooth compared to Tucson's). In the end I managed to reel back two minutes on the leaders. I was 17 seconds behind Becky Lavelle and 40 behind Jasmine leaving T2. I knew both girls would go out fast for the first mile or two (as everyone tends to), but I had to keep pace.

By the first mile both Becky and I passed Jasmine. I was still 10 seconds back of Becky at mile 2 and, in the back of my mind, I could hear Chuck saying, "just reach the person in front of you, then worry about what to do next." So I pushed hard to catch the new mom, but it took a half-mile to do so.

Once in the lead, I started worrying about what was going on behind me! Sam Warriner was in the hunt and I know how strong she is; she just won an Ironman a month before, in her first attempt at the distance! The last 2 miles were up and down an elevated bridge twice, as I mentioned earlier. This was more like riding than running: it took strength on the way up and lots of speed on the way down. Once onto the final stretch, I unleashed the biggest smile I've had in a long while. There, in front of me, was a ribbon at the finish line! What a rare treat after last year's seemingly endless string of second places!

After the race it was great to sit and chat with everyone, particularly Tim DeBoom, who finished 6th in the men's race. Tim is a two-time Ironman World Champ and offered to help me out when I return to Boulder! I hope he didn't mind all the questions! But there will be more to come!

Congrats goes to Andrew Yoder, who annihilated the men's race, and to Becky Lavelle, who inspires me more than she realizes. I think she inspires more people than she realizes.

I'd like to thank my sponsors for believing in me and backing that belief with the help I truly need: enormous amounts of funds deposited in a Nigerian bank account! Thanks also to Ron or the flight miles that got me and my coach here! By the way Ron, it's Naeth, not Neath. It rhymes with Faith!

Now it's time to rest and then ramp-up for Texas 70.3 this Sunday. I hope my confidence lasts!