Age Group Sprint Nationals - Aug. 11, 2013

This is one race I would like to forget. With everything you do though, you can't have a prefect race and you have to learn from your mistakes. Also this is the time where I also found crossfit about a month before and just started spending more time in the gym then training for my race. When that happens you can't always expect a good race then when you don't prepare properly.
I remember this day clearly and the morning started early with setting up my transition and then have to wait a long time before my age group entered the water. As the wetsuits start to get zipped up and we are on deck waiting to get in the water, the race comes to a stop from letting people start. All the athletes in the water are allowed to continue on racing but they are not allowing anyone to start. As all the athletes are clear of the water coast guard boats, jet skis and paddle boards start combing the water. Come to find out they are missing someone and so they started looking in the water for the person. After 45 mins of looking they find out this athlete never entered the water but went over the timing mat that started his chip. Most importantly he is ok and safe, but thanks dude for never telling anyone and prolonging the race for us that haven't started yet. By this time a lot of the athletes are done racing or finishing up. Now almost an hour later then the planed start we are finally in the water and swimming! With the lack of swimming I did in my training I expected to struggle a little bit but not as bad as I did. I just hoped I was with the middle of the pack when I got out of the water.
SWIM: 17:51
Out of the water I was towards the end of the middle of the pack not where I wanted to be. Now I was going to have to fight harder on the bike to gain on the people in my age group. The course was hilly but nothing I thought I wasn't ready for. What I wasn't ready for was the wind =( It seemed ever direction you turned it was a headwind, but I kept pushing. With the bike being so short it's hard to gain time on it when it is your best leg. I did what I could but I knew my swim didn't help me at all.
BIKE: 37:57
When it was time for the run it started to drizzle and actually felt nice! I was hoping I could continue to try to chip away at people on the run, but my legs where not letting me. It seemed as I was running the people I past on the bike start passing me back on the run. Well I guess I went out to hard on the bike =( All I could do was continue to try to push and hope that I could still maybe fall as an alternate for Worlds. With about .2 left I had my eye on a girl in front of me and I did all I could to pass her and I did!!! I was happy about that but then but then learned I still didn't finish high enough to earn a spot on the World Team. I didn't even earn a spot as an alternate like I did last year.
RUN: 25:31
With that being said I was bummed and not happy about my performance. I know where I went wrong in my training and my racing and I can learn from it. Next year I'm coming back and I'll be ready.
TOTAL: 1:25:05

Finish Line 

I also got to meet an amazing Triathlete that I look up to. This was the highlight of my whole weekend