Kansas 70.3

The song in my mind for this race: CLICK HERE TO LISTEN

My last post indicated my knee issues.  I harp on other people to take time off when injured so I had to heed my own advice.  Here is my running schedule 6 weeks leading up to the race:

6wks out: 5 runs including 1200m repeats, hill efforts, "bookend" brick, and 2 easy runs
5wks out: no running
4wks out: one 30min test run (painful...almost walking) and two 10min jogs
3wks out: one elliptical workout and one 10min jog
2wks out: two elliptical workouts, 3 water jog workouts, three 10min jogs, one 2-mile jog
1wks out: 2mile, 3mile, 3mile, 4mile, 4mile, 6mile EASY
Race week: 2mile, 3mile, 4mile, 5mile

Not only did a conservative training approach allow me to finish the race, but also a "team effort" in terms of logistics.  Here's what I mean:

Tina covered "on-call" at work so I could go to the race.

Jeff "aka: Speedy feet" brought my bike to Cathie



Cathie and Valerie (elite E2 racers) drove 10hrs
from OH to KS to race...with my bike in the back



Kromer let me borrow his
race wheels...since he is temporarily retired
from triathlon after Lake Placid




Nickie (elite Veritas racer) let me borrow
her speedsuit.  My WTC-legal speedsuit has
not arrived yet.  Waited for the TriSports sale to order it :)







Lou shuttled me to/from the airport (and helped feed
 my Dairy Queen habit).  He shaved a "monkey tail"
in his beard on race day....AWESOME!!  Miss you Abby

Cathie's parents were a gracious homestay
for Cathie, Valerie, and I the night before the race



Race Report:

Swim:  the winds were high, making the water very choppy.  I've never swallowed so much lake water.  Wetsuits were not allowed (water temp 76.8) and many people's race was finished somewhere during the first leg of the race.  I came out of the water 3rd

Bike:  I loved this course-  rollers all the way, baby!  The wind made things a bit interesting: leaning into the crosswinds, coming out of aero on some downhills to hold onto the bike, pedaling uphill with the wind at my back almost as fast as I had gone downhill a few minutes previous on the turn-arounds.  I held my position in 3rd throughout the bike section. 

Run: I set up my gear in T2 almost as a joke.  I thought the effort from the 56 hilly miles would put my knee out.  But it didn't, so the plan was to run up to the point of pain, then flag someone down for a ride back to transition.  I didn't want a DNF by my name, but started the run assuming I'd be done in 2 miles.  Then 4 miles...6 miles...by mile 8 I was holding strong in 4th place and decided I was finishing the race.  When I got passed at mile 11, I encouraged the racer to catch the pro in 3rd (which she did...) and finished the race in 5th.  Splits indicated I almost even split the run exactly! 

Jenne was the most energetic supporter out on the
run course!  I didn't know her, but had to meet her
after the race and thank her for dancing and
playing music



I made "thank you" peanut butter s'mores cookie bars for people.
Here's the link for the recipe:  RECIPE