Rev3 Knoxville!

Here I sit finally getting around to my race report for Rev3 Knoxville. First off, Happy Mother's Day to all the mamas out there! May your day be drama free!!

Since I last wrote from Galveston I had a few things going on before Knoxville. I got to catch up with the Rev3 crew in there run across America. They were just north of Tulsa so I rounded up a few locals and we tried to give the runners a day off. A huge thanks to Kathy and Bill--Kathy covered 28 miles and Bill covered 48! Duncan, Lisa and I, all recovering from Galveston and Leadville, covered about 40 between the 3 of us. It was fun and for a great cause! Also, who knew I would see my first space capsule in the middle of Oklahoma? Hopefully next year we can round up a few more runners.

I also headed to Austin to particpate in the first tri camp for Team Red White and Blue. This truly deserves its own post, but simply put the camp was amazing. A huge, huge thanks goes to Derick Williamson for making the camp happen. It's awesome to see Team RWB living up to its mission and touch veteran's life. I left the camp inspired knowing that we are actually doing something here. Thank you for allowing Jess Jacobs and me to be a part of this!

Now, to the good stuff! Rev3 Knoxville! This would be my first Olympic race in nearly 2 years. Needless to say, I felt a little out of element, but was psyched for my race to be done in a little over 2 hours! Of course, Rev3 never disappoints. The race was looking to be quite competitive, but beyond that Rev3 puts thought into every detail of the race. If you haven't participated in one of their races, you are missing out! Race day rolled around nice and early on Sunday. Going into the race I knew my swim was not going to be up to snuff. I was hoping my body might surprise me. But alas, if you don't get the work in, it ain't going to happen! In my defense, I did what I could and hope to rectify this by Quassy! My point? My swim was ugly. As I swam along, knowing I was giving up more and more time while leading a small pack, I started to get pretty irritated with myself. An Olympic distance race is too short to give up this sort of time. Further, it's important to position yourself in the race for the beginning of the bike which ultimately has a large part to do with the outcome of your race! Once on the bike I felt strong and slowly started to pick girls off. About a half mile out from the turn around I saw a pack of about 5 women riding together (legally, but there is no doubt there is a huge benefit of riding with women vs by yourself!) I caught Nicole around mile 18 and Laurel shortly after that. We ended up riding into T2 together. I heard we were 3 minutes down and I was hoping that was to Sara and not the pack of women. Laurel and I ran together awhile, which was good because it forced me out of my half-ironman clip and reminded my legs it was supposed to be running a 10k! Finally around mile 4 I started to pick some of the women off. There were a few more up ahead, but the last mile is on a windy path and I just couldn't get the momentum going to catch them. Looking back I should have gone with Laurel and made the passes before I entered this section. Oh well, you live and learn. In the end I was 6th, with about 35 seconds seperating 3rd through 6th. Once that sunk in I was pretty mad at myself for my crud swim. But now I know what I need to work on in these races and you better believe I won't let that happen again! As always, I have to thank my incredible sponsors! Rev3, Pearl Izumi, Powerbar, Recovery Pump, Kestrel, Rudy Project, Blue Seventy. Also, I have to thank a new sponsor: Challenge Tires! The tires are super smooth, thank you!! Next up is Quassy, getting pumped!

Houston, we have a problem...

Wow, can't believe the day unfolded the way it did. Unfortunately I mean this is in not quite the positive way that I hoped, although I took a lot of positive memories from the race.
The week leading into the race I was putting together some last minute things to include my new Kestrel 4000 and zipp wheels. While I usually would be apprehensive about trying anything "new" for the race, I was lucky enough to have the exact replica of my bike last year, only the 2012 model. Also, being the first race of the year you tend to forget the little things, so I was a tad more stressed than usual getting together my 2012 gear, which includes different sponsors.
I flew with the kids into Houston on Thursday evening. I was born and raised in Houston and we decided to stay at home, which is a 45-60 min drive to Galveston. For me it was worth it to sleep in my "own" beds and feel completely comfortable. Plus the kids had a blast playing with our old toys---and I don't mean grandma and grandpa, although they had a blast with them! Friday was a short run in the neighborhood and a swim at the community pool. Saturday we went to Memorial Park for a short ride and run. Everything was working well and I felt at ease with my equipment. Further, this is the first time in several years I haven't been battling some sort of illness or injury associated with illness (you can read my post last year at this time after taking the antibiotic levaquin and it's lingering effect). I was feeling fit, confident, and mostly at ease because I knew what kind of race I was capable of rather than the big question mark I can go into races with at this time of year. I just wanted to race!


Sunday morning came and before I knew it I was setting up my bike in transition. I walked over to the start with Amy and Brandon Marsh and I've got to say it feels great they are back in Texas. I've known them for years--and dare I say I've known Brandon for nearly decades?!?! Yes, we are getting old! Of course I realize I've forgotten my swim cap in transition. The only thing that made me feel not quite so air headish is that Amy left all her nutrition at home! Ha! Sorry Amy, although we all know it turned out okay for you!


I hopped in the water and it felt a little warm for a full wetsuit. I'm wearing BlueSeventy again and it fit like a glove. The start horn went off and I immediately had clean water. I swam as hard as I could, deferring to no one. I knew I was at the tail end of the lead pack because I was absolutely redlining it to stay there. And then I moved over to get on the inside and I was just off, keeping pace but being in the worse position...alone!! I kept trying and trying to get back on. This went on until about 1200meters when I realized, "wow, I'm really hot." and "wow, I'm going to explode if I keep this up." A quick sighting behind me revealed that a few women were working their way back up to me, so I soft stroked until they caught me, then tried to hop in behind them. Problem was several of the women weren't having it and wouldn't let me in! Alrightly, fine. I can help pull you along but you won't let me in, that's cool. So I let them all go and just cruised it in on the back. The lesson? Get my butt on that front pack next time!!


Out to transition was smooth. I heard 2 minutes down. Perfect. I can deal with 2 minutes. I started the bike and knew my legs were ready to play. I take a turn to head out towards the seawall and immediately hear a POP and all I can thinks is, "oh no, I think that was me!!" I stop and feel my front & it's okay. I feel the rear and sure enough it's completely flat. In a split second I made a decision. I was going to finish this race, no matter what the result. I immediately head back to transition yelling, "Does anyone have a rear wheel?" I get back and a spectator with his bike says I can use his. I'm thinking, "okay, I'll get this on, and maybe I can still run my way back into the top 10." What seems like forever we get the wheel on and sure enough it won't even spin. Crap. At this point I see the next wave of women heading out on the bike and I think, "well, I can still have a good bike and run today." Another spectator, the generous Jill, runs to her car, gets her bike out and we proceed to put her wheel on. She says to me,"it needs to be pumped up, I haven't pumped it in awhile." I said, "does it spin?" Sure enough it does and I tell her, "hey, that's good enough for me." I look up at the clock and it's ticking over to 45 minutes. At this point I thought, "get out there and smile because you get to do this." also with, "and don't you dare start feeling sorry for yourself." From there I biked strong, making sure to smile and encourage others around me. I will say about half way I thought, "what the heck are you doing Jessica?!" But tried and succeeded in pushing away pity party thoughts. The wheel worked great, although I believe in properly inflated disc wheels more than ever!!


I started the run and my parents had a very concerned look. I ran out of t-2 with a smile and said to them, "I'm okay." Later my parents said they were relieved because they thought I had crashed. On the first loop I actually got to appreciate the race going on around me. I quickly realized that running into the top 10 was completely unrealistic. And I will admit that I'm a little mad at myself for not trying a little harder on the run, because my training indicates that I'm ready for some fast running. But then again I realize I'm being a little hard on myself and being in no man's land and not being "in the hunt" is not the most conducive to your best result! I finally finished. The first thing Gwyn says to me is, "did you win?" I told her, "kind of sweetheart." Seemed good enough for her!


After the race upon inspecting the tire it appeared to be sliced clean through. All I could wonder was what on earth did I run over? On our walk back to the car we decided to inspect the turn. I really didn't think I'd find anything, but sure enough after about 10 seconds something shiny catches my eye. A razor blade is just sitting there on the road. I know some people carry them in the event of a flat to help get their tire off. My suspicion is that someone could have dropped it. Needless to say it's just rotten luck. But it did give me some satisfaction that it was not a mechanical error of any sort.


So some of the most exciting parts of the day was seeing the men and women's race unfold. I saw Kelly completely dominating and Amy land on the podium. I'm lucky to know these ladies for a long time. Besides that, to see the hard work they put in year after year is inspiring. Sometimes I think people realize what a long, tough road this can be. They are just great examples of perseverance. And they are just nice people, which makes it even better! And speaking of perseverance I couldn't be prouder of Tim O'donnell. While he's known as T.O. to many, I think of him as Timmy, the midshipman I met 10 (wow, I'm getting old!!) years ago. I don't know many people that work as hard and never give up. As a fellow former officer in our military, I couldn't be more thrilled that he took home top honors at the U.S. Pro Championships while also representing Team Red, White, and Blue! Despite the fact he gave my twins "Navy" onesies when they were born, we still love the guy!



It always feels amazing to win. And it feels amazing to get on the podium. But this day I learned that I can have the courage to put my ego aside and focus on just racing as hard as I can no matter what the result. I guess that's my "victory" for the 2012 Galveston 70.3. But don't think for one second I won't be back next year as fired up as ever!


Thank you to my incredible sponsors who allow me to get to do this: Revolution 3, Kestrel, Powerbar, Pearl Izumi, Recovery Pump, Rudy Project, Blue Seventy, and Louis Garneu. A lot to these guys are like family (and not the embarrassing extended kind!) And thanks to Ryan and Jesse at Sun and Ski Sports for jumping through hoops to get my bike built. Thanks to Ray and Colt for getting my wheels ready, and to Bill Marshal of Challenge Tires for making sure it was operational in Galveston. Coach Kevin, who is so much more than a coach--thank you! Lastly, thank you to my amazing parents! My mom was wonder woman taking over the kids and letting me focus on the race. And my dad for always being there, no matter what--year after year. I hope I tell you enough what your support means to me.

Ch-ch-ch-changes!!!

Okay, the truth is the more things change, the more they stay the same, right? Once again, I have been absolutely terrible with the whole blog thing. For this, I will just give you one of my 4 responses: No excuse, Sir! But seriously, I have not been totally lacking in social media. You can follow my twitter at jessmeyerstri. I need to figure out how to link the twitter to my blog. (In other words, I need to find someone else to link my twitter to my blog!)

So updates on my front. It's a new year and we have been extremely lucky with the weather. I don't think I've ever gotten out this much in January since living in Oklahoma. We are preparing ourselves for February. Hopefully our luck will continue. Also, last fall I realized I left out quite a bit of information about what's going on in the Meyers household. There have been a couple big changes that as a result change the dynamic of my training. Me being a glass half-full kind of gal mean the changes have been in the positive direction! First off, my husband got into medical school at OSU here in Tulsa. While this definitley brings stress with the uncertainty of our financial situation, I remind myself it's temporary and you can't let that get to you. On a positive note, it is exciting to see my husband love what he is doing. I am fortunate to get live my passion day in and day out, and now he gets to join the fun! And this might be hard to believe, but we actually see him more than when he worked as an enginner. I don't think people know that when we first moved here Lucas was still in the Reserves. Shortly after that when the kids were about 8 months old he started going to classes at night and on the weekend to make this dream happen. I won't get into details just yet--I'll save that for another blog! The other big change is that my kids started Pre-K. They are in school 5 days a week, from 7:45 until 2:45. My babies are growing up!! So how does this change for me? Well, it's the obvious. I have more time to train during the week. But even more is that I have time to rest during the week! (and blog perhaps? ;) This has definitely added much more structure to my training. I do my training while they are at school. I pick them up, and that's it--I'm full Mom. I no longer have that uncertainty of "Oh, I hope Lucas can get home on time so I can get my swim in because I couldn't get it done earlier." And then the guilt of leaving the kids to go get it done. I'm just able to get the work done stress free, and it's making a huge difference--not just in my training but in my emotional well-being. For all of this, I am so thankful!!

In other news, I've got a few new exciting partnerships! However, one that will be staying the same is the Trakkers/Rev 3 Team. But you must know, the "Trakkers" will be dropped and it's just called the Rev3 Team now! Details will come once everything is finalized! Until next time--happy training!! And for you crazies that are already racing--happy racing!! I'll see you out there in a few months!!

Austin 70.3...Take 4!

Thank you Mario Cantu for the photos.

This weekend I raced the Austin 70.3. This was my first half-ironman starting in 2008. I started training for it a few months before. My twins were 18 months old, and I really don't think I totally understood what I was getting myself into. When I got off the bike, all I could think was, "How in the heck do people run a half marathon now??" I've returned each year, mainly it's as close to a "home" race as I'll ever get. I think of Austin as where I grew up in triathlon. When I was stationed at Fort Hood, which is about 45 minutes north, I spent a lot of weekends in Austin learning and training for this sport. I love the people, the energy, the hills, the heat, and on and on! Despite all this, I've never put together a good race in Austin. I've always just missed out of the money, and I've always had some late season issue going into the race. I vowed this year I wouldn't let this happen again!

We loaded and took off Thursday. Lucas had to bury his head in the books, so he was unable to come. I was a bit nervous driving by myself with the kids, but we made it okay with only a few meltdowns. We arrived at my brother's house and Rowan and Gwyn went crazy for their cousins. Times like these makes me really want to move back to Texas. I love Tulsa, but can you beat being with family? My Mom, who is an absolute Saint by the way, arrived that evening. She helped me with the kids and the next day entertained them while I did my short swim/bike/run. Later that day she loaded the kids up to go visit their other grandparents in San Antonio. (Again, thank you to my awesome mother and father in-law for helping me out!!) Leading into the race was relatively stress free. I had one incident at the pool with a head in collision. It left my head a little sore, but thank goodness I'm so hard headed to begin with :)

Okay, let's get to the race. Kevin and I had a specific game plan for this race. We knew I was running well. We also knew that this was a type of race that sneaks up on you. It gets hot and windy. Also, the run course is hard with some rollers that just come back to bite you in the butt. To top it off there isn't an ounce of shade on the run. They changed the course from last year and we would run 3 loops and exclude the off road portion from last year. I got my stuff ready and headed to the swim, hoping the sun would come up soon so we wouldn't be swimming in the dark. When the cannon went off I was really surprised how aggressive the swim was. I moved over to get some clear water and was back from a few girls. I noticed that I was on Caroline's feet. I also noticed we were losing contact with some girls ahead, so I went ahead and caught the next girl, which ended up being Morgan (who I swam with in Branson). I debated going around her and trying to catch the next group, or just chilling where I was. She decided that for me because I realized we picked up the pace while rounding the last buoy and I couldn't have gone around if I wanted to! I exited and was a little surprised there were so many girls out all ready. They must not have been too far ahead because I passed all but a few in transition. Once on the bike I concentrated on keeping my cool, staying focused, and taking my nutrition. Like I said, this race sneaks up on you. The bike was pretty lonely. I passed a few girls and a few pro men passed me. In the later stages a few collegiate guys (Go Army!) passed me in the last 5 miles. I will say that the roads were in bad shape. The drought caused cracks and holes. The organizers did an excellent job marking, but there was noticeably a lot more chip seal then years prior. By mile 45 I was ready to get off. I felt like my whole body was vibrating and I was just kind of getting bored. This is where I really lost my concentration and I undoubtedly gave up most of my time to the leader (Tenille having a great ride) up ahead. I finally got to T2 and I was stoked to get off the bike and get running. When I headed out I heard I was 5 minutes down. I didn't panic at all. Kevin and I fully anticipated I would be at this kind of deficit. I quickly calculated that if I ran 30 sec per mile faster, I should reach her by mile 10. Time to get to work. When I reached mile 2 I was told 4:20. Uh, Jessica that ain't going to cut it. Okay, keep calm and you have 3 miles of wiggle room. When I got to the first loop I was 3:30 down. Okay better, keep it moving. I suddenly felt better and the crowds were amazing! When I got past the far turn-around I got an update that I took back 1 minute in just that section. I got energized and just started to go harder. Through loop 2 and 1:20 down. I could see the lead cyclist ahead and put the hammer down to catch it. Finally I passed Tenille around mile 10, and I was concerned as she looked to be hurting. I offered some encouragement as we had quite some time on 3rd. When I got to the far turn around coming back I saw she was walking and having a hard time. I hoped she was okay as it was getting brutal out there. Once I reached mile 11 I knew I secured the lead and put the race in cruise control in order to "save" my legs a bit for Miami. Really, it was nice to enjoy the crowds who cheered me on all day to keep fighting. As I made the turn to go into the expo center, I saw Rowan sitting on my brother's shoulders going crazy. My brother yelled, "Are you winning??" Ha! High fives to them, ran inside and my father-in-law was holding Gwynnie near the finish. High fives and kisses to her. Finally I crossed the line and suddenly was worried I was going to pass out! I kept on two feet and my good friend Adam (announcing the race) interviewed me and I have no idea what I said. I was totally spent. I got to visit with some friends (even childhood that happen to be there!) and headed out to get cleaned up and get the kids out of the sun. A quick shout out to Kelly and Derik Williamson--each loop I would find them and they were just calm and cheering as if "go get it done already." I didn't even know they'd be there, what a treat! Also, to Richie and Melissa Cunningham. Richie, my Trakkers teammate, is coming back from an injury and passed me on the run and kept me calm. Melissa, thanks for the cheers and twitter updates!

This was a great day. It wasn't an incredible time, but it's one of those races that force you to believe in yourself. I am most proud that I raced my race and never panicked. We had a plan and we stuck to it. Huge thanks to my family, especially my parents, for always supporting me in this triathlon dream. To my incredible sponsors: Trakkers, Rev 3, First Endurance, TYR, Recovery Pump, Kestrel, Louis Garneau, Avia, 918 XC, and Team Red, White, and Blue!! Thanks for sticking with me. This season has been full of downs, and now finally ups!

Back in Branson

Last I wrote I was bummed about my race in Vegas. I was scheduled to go do Augusta, which would be two weeks later. In the few days after Vegas, my legs felt pretty decent (minus my quads from all the climbing) and I had a little talk with Coach Kevin about doing Branson instead. At first Kevin was pretty hesitant. I think he was just concerned about my state emotionally after Vegas. He says that can take more out of you then a good race, and I definitely agree with him. But once I took the emotion out of the race, I knew that I was ready to go in Vegas and truly believed I just made a few costly errors there. I knew I was fit and ready for a good race. Was I little scared? Heck yeah! You can't come away from such a disappointing race without doubting yourself. That's normal. But I refuse to let fear dictate what I'm going to do with my life. Branson is a 3 hr drive, my kids and husband could watch, and quite frankly I couldn't afford the trip to Augusta. So Kevin agreed but told me to be realistic. I can deal with realistic.

On Friday I dropped the kids off to school and did some last minute errands of the swim/bike/run variety. Lisa picked me up and we hit the rode by 11. We had a nice little girl's drive to Branson. Once there we checked in and then decided to go ahead and drive the course. I went to this race last year but had my first ever DNF with a broken chain. So it was nice to get familiar again. Also, they changed the last part of the course. Last year was a nice decent back into town. This year not so much! It included going around a school, a bike path, and then a nice little 14% climb. Thanks guys! ha! I'd also like to mention that it rained the entire time. This was going to be a tough day.

Saturday morning Lisa and I did a little bike/run. I was worried because my quads still felt a bit heavy and tight. Lisa reminded me I still have another whole day. What really gave me some confidence is teammate Hillary Biscay's message letting me know that I could do a dirty double. She is the queen of the dirty doubles! And she said the 2nd is usually the better race. Okay, keep telling myself this! After our little day before bike/run we met up with my good friend, Jasmine and her boyfriend Brandon. Jasmine is like a little sister to me. At the OTC when we first met she was 19 years old. We were best buds there and did all our training together. I am admittedly jealous that now she and and Amanda get to do all their training together :( In any event, it was just like old times. I have found that I have a hard time being serious at all when she is around. But I guess that's good for the nerves? We hit up the race meeting later that day and by the time I got back to the hotel Lucas and the kids arrived. They were psyched about the hotel. I apologize to the people below our room as they immediately started jumping between the two beds!

Race morning came and Lisa and I set up our transition 2, then took the shuttle to the swim start/transition 1. I left my bike overnight with my friend Amanda E., who was staying at the hotel there. After getting the bike all set (thanks Amanda again for letting us crash your room), Jasmine and I decided to just chill in the lobby instead of sitting in the rain outside. We put on our wetsuits half way, then took off around 615 (race started at 7). We were the last pros to arrive, but we just racked our bikes and headed to the swim start. During warm-up I knew my "swim" body felt a little sluggish. I hoped that I would have someone to swim with because Jasmine would crush all of us in the water. The cannon went off and sure enough Jaz was gone (by the way she beat all the men). Luckily Caroline was next to me and and I hopped on her feet. Around half way through another girl came by and we all swam in together. I had a quick transition and got on the road. Luckily the rain had subsided and stayed that way until about 5 minutes after I finished the race! My legs felt great, but I still played it pretty conservative because I knew this ride would take over 2:45. I caught Nina pretty early on and knew Jasmine would be well up the road. Once one the main road (they closed off a 4 lane highway, how cool is that!) I could see Jasmine ahead but just stayed focused on my efforts as this ride is literally up or down. On one of the ascents I looked over and poor Jaz was changing a flat. I asked if she needed anything and she said she got it. For the next two loops I just tried to stay focused. I knew I was riding away from the other women, but one thing Vegas taught me was anything can happen! Once we got off the 4 lane highway, we were back on a 2 lane highway and things started to get a bit sketchy. A sprint tri was going on in conjunction with the race. Usually I would have been hammering this section, but this section was open to traffic. Several cars were stuck behind some of the sprinters. So I'm riding my brakes because I can't go around the cars, and the cars won't go around the cyclist. It was a tad frustrating and I definitely lost some time here. Finally what felt like an eternity it cleared out and I was back at it and was finally back at T2.

The run was a 3 loop course that took us through the Branson landing which has a bunch of shops. It was great for spectators and they definitely helped keep the morale high. Around mile 2 Matt Leito caught me while he was on his second loop. He told me to stay with him because it took him a long time to catch me. I did just that and it made the miles just click by. I knew I was putting more time on the girls, but didn't want to take any chances. Also, Matt was pretty entertaining so I had to keep up! Matt, I apologize--I usually have a little more wit when I'm not so tired. The best part was seeing my kids multiple times each loop. They would yell things like, "Sprint!!" and "Move it Mommy!" I also got to see lots of Tulsans out on the course, which was awesome. The best is seeing your training partners: Amanda E won the whole amateur race, Susie was 2nd in her age group, and Lisa was hanging tough after an especially long, hard season.

I got to the finish line and was greeted with flowers and huge bottle of wine. I gave Lucas and the kids a quick kiss and the first thing Rowan says to me is, "Is it time to eat now Mommy?" Ahhh yes, kids will keep you grounded!

It began to downpour so we got the kids out of there and warmed up back at the hotel. We hit up awards. Congrats to all the ladies, it was a lot of fun, hard work! We got home by 730 and the kids were out by 745. I think I made it to 8.

I really learned a lot from Vegas. You can ready my full nutrition report on firstendurance.com. I changed just a few things but it made all the difference!

Again, thanks to all my sponsors who make this possible. Trakkers, Rev 3, Recovery Pump, First Endurance, TYR, Kestrel, Avia, Louis Garneu, 918 XC, Team Red White and Blue. Thanks Kevin for encouraging me and keeping the faith! You always say the right things. And most of all to my family! Your support means more then you'll ever know!

70.3 World Champs 2011, Las Vegas

Let me start by saying this was an absolutely awesome course! I like it so much better then Clearwater. Just driving the course the day before I knew this had the elements I thrive in: hilly, windy, & "hot"! I was excited for race day and was so ready to go on Saturday I wished it was a day sooner! Sunday came bright and early. This race has two transitions so it threw in some logistical difficulty, but we got it figured out pretty well. I got to transition and wasn't my normal self. By normal I mean that I usually don't get flustered, but I dropped my electrical tape in the dark and couldn't find it, and almost walked off without putting my bike shoes on my bike! What was I doing? Well, in my defense there were 2 or 3 camera crews next to me. No, not taking pictures of me as one would think :) But taking pictures of the bike, or rather the person racked next to me, the awesome Julie Dibens. I was trying to duck out of the video crew's shot half my time setting up. Ha!
We hopped in the water about 10 minutes before go time. I had a nice little warm-up, got in position, and before I knew it the cannon was firing. We took off and I never conceded in the swim like I have in the past. I swam hard and then once it strung out a little bit hopped in behind a few feet, one being the eventual World Champ. I had a great, smooth transition (despite my rough time setting it up) and got out on the course. Right away I knew my legs were ready to bike. I caught up with several girls, and then it became a bit of cat and mouse the whole ride, but also with a male pro?? I tried to keep my distance off the back or get to the front, but never me in the middle because I knew this guy was going to cause a penalty, and sure enough he did. Luckily it wasn't me but not so fortuate for my competitor Melanie McQuaid who hardly needs to draft. She was blitzing through our ride.
Off on the run it took about a mile for my legs to come around. Then I felt strong and ready to pick off some girls ahead of me. My legs were moving, I felt great and I was within 90 seconds of 4 girls ahead while sitting in 8th. Perfect. Around mile 6 I head a rumbling in my stomach. Hmmm, this is not so good. In all of my years of running and triathlon this has never happen. I wouldn't call it a blow-up but more a blow-out if you catch my drift. Luckily there were port-a-johns on site. After a few of these I had nothing. It took all my energy just to move my legs. I've never wanted to stop so badly in my life. But on the other hand, I knew I'd never forgive myself for stopping (although that probably would have been the smart thing to do!)
After letting the dust settle and taking out the emotion, I'm obviously disappointed with my result. I made a few mistakes. While they were simple mistakes, they caused major problems in the end. The important thing is to fix these mistakes, and not spend another minute beating myself over this race. The 10th anniversary of 9/11 is a good reminder that Jessica Meyers having a bad last 7 miles of a 70.3 is hardly a tragedy. Also, I was able to look up and see that my good friend Jessica Jacobs was about to win Ironman Wisconsin. She has had a tough year and it brought tears to my eyes. That is resiliance right there. And then Amanda and Michael Lovato won their first 70.3 together! How cool is that? Finally, I was proud of Heather Jackson for running into the top 5. What a cool chick. I love seeing nice, friendly people do so well. Way to get after it!
I wanted to thank everyone that contributed to my race for Team Red White and Blue! Much much appreciated! And also to my wonderful sponsors, Rev 3, Trakkers, Kestrel, Recovery Pump, First Endurance, TYR, Avia, Louis Garneu, 918 XC. Also to Superleggera for getting my fit just right! Lastly to my awesome parents for coming to support me. You guys are the best pit crew (sorry you always pick the not so great ones!) Until next time!

Better Late Then Never? Buffalo Springs and Muncie!

Yes, I am way late in posting my race reports. Apologizes again. I'm a broken record, again...Let's start with Buffalo Springs!

I arrived to Lubbock on Friday. As soon as I got out of the airport I felt that dry, Texas heat and had to smile a little bit. Yes, it's certainly not comfortable, but I love racing in my home state! I will say that the humidity of Houston is nothing like the dryness of Lubbock. Although they are probably equally unpleasant! In any event, I got to the hotel and built up my bike and got to meet up with my vatos, Amanda and Michael Lovato. The best thing about these races is catching up with friends, and I've come to love my vato-time, even if it is a bit tardy!

Saturday was a little swim/bike/run course preview. I knew this race was going to be epic, and like what I learned in Mil Art--a war of attrition so to speak on race day. This race you had to play your cards right, there really was no room for mistakes. To me, one word came to mind--conservation! Getting through would be an accomplishment! The pro race meeting was totally laid back and I got to catch my with more friends that I've know for years now (crazy!) Kelly W and Jessica Jacobs (yes, this might surprise people but I am not Jessica Jacobs :)!

Race morning came too early as usual. Amanda and I kept Michael in order and we arrived to race site with plenty of time. We got the bikes all set up and head down for the swim. I opted for the sleeveless TYR Hurricane. Again, I knew it might not be as fast as the full wetsuit, but I was more interested in conserving. When we took off and got to the first buoy I was just behind the feet I wanted to grab. Perfect. Although right next to me a girl that I don't know is pounding me every stroke. I'm thinking really? Yes, this definitely impedes progress and I couldn't quite catch the feet in front of me, perhaps because every stroke I took half her body was on me. I thought, "Well, she must be a swimmer and know what she's doing, we are getting nowhere." So I moved over so she could go ahead and grab the feet and I'd fall in behind her. Big mistake! She died about 100 meters later and I realized that she probably wasn't fighting for the feet like I was, I think she was probably just a little over anxious and firing on all cylinders! In any event, I couldn't bridge back up, and then I was pulling several girls. This is not the situation I wanted--remember the buzz word "conservation!" So I soft stroked and let the girls go ahead and fell in. I look over and who do I see? Amanda! Every stroke I'd smile at her and knew she was having a great swim, so don't make her laugh! I kept my heart rate down and finished the swim. I got a time check in transition of about 2 minutes down. Not too bad, although I would have like to be a little closer! I got on my Kestrel 4000 and went to work. The whole bike I focused on nutrition and not ever extending myself. I kept a consistent effort that was within myself. I slowly picked girls off and was able to get a good idea where I was at 2 180 turns. I caught Kelly with about 10 miles to go. I rode into T2 and they announced me as the first woman. I thought "how silly, they missed Margie" but unfortunately I learned later that Margie had gone off course, so I really was the race leader. I wish I would have enjoyed it a little bit more! I started the run, again--conserve, Jessica, conserve. Get through it. I was waiting for Kelly to come flying by. Sure enough she did, but not until around mile 2 which really surprised me. I guess I put on a little more time than expected those last few bike miles. I kept trudging along, focusing on my nutrition and putting one foot in front of the other. I kept seeing this guy out on the course (bike and run) and I figured it was a pro woman's coach. After seeing him about 10 times I felt like we were old pals, and he started to give me a little feedback. At around mile 12.5 I said to him "am I almost done already?" He smiled and said just ahead. It turns out it was the legendary Dave Scott! He was Sherpa for his son who started in the wave behind me! Very cool. So I finished with a bit of blurred vision and stayed strong for 2nd.

The next day I flew out straight to Denver. My family was having their annual family reunion in Estes Park. Honestly, Buffalo Springs is not like other half ironmans. It just takes a lot out of you--the heat, the course, the wind. I was beat up. And recovering at 7200 feet is probably not ideal, but good for the soul nonetheless. We had a great time and I'll post some pics when I get them downloaded. "Training" was definitely interesting. I was just really beat up from Buffalo Springs and started to feel pretty run down. We came back to Tulsa for 1 day and then I was on another plane to Indianapolis for the Muncie 70.3.

I'll admit I wasn't feeling too zippy for this race. If I hadn't been chasing 70.3 points I would have scratched it. But being worth more points I decided to go for it. Unfortunately so did a group of talented women, including good friend Kelly W who went on to come in 2nd! If "conservation" was the buzz word for Buffalo Springs, then "blah" would be for Muncie. The gun went off and within my first 10 strokes I thought "uh-oh." I had nothing. My arms just went through the water, seemingly grabbing nothing. I got on my bike and just biked, no power behind them. It was a lonely day out there :) I started the run and actually felt pretty decent, although my time might not reflect it. I finished 6th. For as blah as it was, I had to be satisfied. You just can't expect to be in the race with these women without a little pep in your step. I had nada. Was it worth it? Only time would tell if I got the precious points to put me in the top 25. When it was all said and done, I landed at 27. Hopefully 2 women would decline their spot. Luckily they did and I confirmed my spot to Vegas last Friday.

So where does this leave me? Getting ready for Worlds 70.3 in Vegas! I'm loving that it's going to be hot and hilly. This is my type of course! Again, none of this would be possible without my wonderful family and friends, and I include my awesome sponsors in this friends category! Trakkers, Rev 3, Kestrel, First Endurance, Tyr, Avia, Recovery Pump, Louis Garneau, 918 XC...Just a quick story on Recovery Pump. I brought them along with me to Muncie 70.3 I had a late flight out the following day so I sat around in them for several hours. No soreness! No joke! These things are worth their weight in gold!!