It was truly an honor to be racing the Cali 70.3 in Oceanside on March 29.  Coming from Madison, Wisconsin (read: still ski season at home) it felt awesome to get the bike outside (ride #2 on the road for 2008) and feel the wind on my face.  I have never raced this early in the season before and was curious to see how my fitness would hold up, especially to a challenging 70.3 course.  I am happy to report that I had an all around solid day out there, maybe for the simple fact that I was blissed out to be riding outside and running along the ocean in a beautiful part of the country that I have never before had the opportunity to enjoy.  Here is how my day unfolded…

After the obligatory wait in the porta-potty line to dismiss the pre-race jitters, I was able to settle a bit, found a few familiar faces, and get organized for the day.  It was awesome to see so many new Timex teammates (well, they might not be new, but I am!) in transition and out on the course.  I am lucky to be on such an amazing team… more about that later.

Wading into the 60* water was a bit of a shock at first and I wasn’t too excited for the salty taste of the ocean either, both took some getting used to.  By the time the gun went off (wave 16), I was ready to move and focus on the task at hand.  My Blue Seventy Helix full suit and neoprene cap were life-savers.  After swimming in a pool all winter, I nearly forgot that sighting is so essential.  Good thing for me there were enough people to follow around the course that navigation was OK as I weaved my way through the course.  The swim exit seemed about a ½ mile farther away than it should have been and I was excited to land at the boat ramp and exit into transition.

Here is where the race gets fun (remember, giddy as a school girl that I get to ride my bike outside).  Besides that fact, it was the debut of my sweet new Trek Equinox 7, of which I am still debating on a name (Black Stallion, Rocket, Black Beauty… I am open to suggestions).  My goal was to ride steady, keep my HR in check (thanks to my trusty Timex HR monitor), and enjoy the day.  The first 1/3 of the ride went by fast, wind at the back and flat road, I felt like I had an external engine attached to the bike.  The middle and last 1/3 of the course were more challenging with some fun climbs, zippy descents and a solid headwind.  I started to enjoy the amazing scenery too much at times and every time I turned my head to look at the hills, I was reminded that I was wearing the sleek Rudy Project Aero Helmet and the side profile flat into the wind doesn’t make for the most aero position.  So, I resorted to checking out the scenery on the road, which was also pretty impressive at times.  Several friends and teammates passed me along the way and helped keep me motivated.  The bike was fun and challenging, and by the end of 56 miles, I was ready to leave the bike behind and see what I had left in the legs.

After a pit stop in the porta-potty (it always seems like it takes forever when the clock is ticking), I headed out on the run.  The first person I saw out of the gate was Blake, fellow Timex teammate, as he was finishing up his day.  Lucky dog!  13 miles to go for me and the plan here was to start out moderate, build into it, and finish strong.  I definitely succeeded in the first part of the plan and well, pretty much stayed there.  I felt good on the run, meaning, I didn’t feel like I was going to die at any second.  Running along the ocean was a treat and the crowds and fellow athletes were great motivation.  On the first of the two loop course I was looking forward to the point when I would be there on my second loop, how great that mile 9 marker would be at mile 9 instead of 3!  The miles clicked by, enjoying the sponges at the aid stations, and continuing the positive self talk of appreciating the opportunity to be out there racing, healthy and fit.

I finished the race in 5:00:29, yeah, I know, so close to sub-5, trust me, I tried.  I ended up 5^th in my age group (30-34) and 8^th amateur.  In summary: Solid day for CB and a great start to the ’08 racing season.

I know, I said I’d say more about my amazing team later (and I will… later), but feel like I just wrote a book!  So, we’ll save camp details for another time (or just read Andrew’s post below, I think he pretty much covered everything!).