This was my first time racing the Boulder 70.3 Triathlon. After moving toBoulderlast winter I’ve swam in the reservoir, biked on the course and ran around the rez countless times. I went in feeling confident on the course knowing exactly what to expect. (Usually I just keep new race courses a surprise) Once again I enjoyed the opportunity to ride from home to the start line.

After my unfortunate swim start at the Boulder Peak Triathlon I made a conscious decision to hold back when the gun fired. I’ve realized when swimming at altitude I need to go avoid going out too hard. When my wave began one girl swam ahead of the pack with me, in sticking with my plan I let her go and stuck to my steady pace. My first 400 meters went much smoother than last time. I was able to remain calm swimming at an appropriate pace. I never saw the other swimmer who took off ahead of me but I must have passed her at some point while catching other waves because I came out of the water ahead of all other female swimmers.

Swim Time 27.16

Heading out on my bike I was mixed in with many riders due to being one of the final waves of the race. I rode through the first loop feeling very strong. The temperatures soared to the high nineties therefore I took down an additional bottle than usual. I was also practicing my new liquid carbo pro nutrition plan preparing for my upcoming ironman. As Tim Hola and Steve Johnson blew by me (they started in the very last wave) I caught back up to mess with Tim a bit, and then let them move on with their race. My second loop of the bike I felt the extra bottle I’d consumed and had to get ride of the liquid while riding J. I came in with a pretty solid bike split, although it can definitely use some improvement going into next year.

BikeSplit: 2:29.54

The transition from bike to run has been a constant struggle getting my shoe over my swollen left foot. This race was no exception; I took a few extra seconds and then was off on the run course. As I exited transition it was great to see familiar faces cheering me on. My first few miles of the run I held back due to rising temperatures and lack of shade throughout the course. In retrospect I think I held back a little too much. My first few miles were moderate. As I neared the first 180 degree turn I saw another female approaching, and she was coming in fast. As she caught me I realized it was Amanda Lovato racing pro and on her 2^nd loop. I gave her some words of encouragement assuming she’d breeze right by. As she did I held on for a few minutes asking if she minded me pacing with her. No response. I wasn’t sure the etiquette in this situation, so I just continued on racing my own race. When we approached a small climb I surged passed and continued loop 1 about 15 feet in front of Amanda. This gave me a lot of confidence in preparing to race professionally next year. I thought to myself, If I can run with the top pro’s with my foot injury I’ll definitely be able to hang on with another year of recovery. As Amanda headed to the finish line I took the left turn to my 2^nd loop.

I tried to pick up my pace and again enjoyed all the cheering from family and friends. The aid stations on the run course were amazing; during the 2^nd loop the course was crowded with people. Volunteers were shouting out “really fast girl coming through” and would run towards me with water and ice, so unexpected but greatly appreciated. My legs felt solid until the final mile of the run, could have used one more gel. I was able to get into the finish line with only a small increase in pace.

RunSplit: 1:37.02 

Total Time: 4:36.57 

I’m still not content with my running pace this year but with the injury to my foot and screws that remain I have to be happy with this split for now. I look forward to training on a healthy foot for next year to see what time I’m able to drop from my run and bike splits.

After the race Amanda Lovato found me and apologized for not responding as she was struggling through her 2^nd loop of the run. It was an honor to run with her and completely boosted my confidence for the remainder of my race.

I’m now a huge fan of theBoulder70.3 race course and it’s always encouraging to have so many friends cheering you on from the sidelines. It was awesome to share the overall amateur title with my coach Curt Chesney who was also only 21 seconds behind my brother Gavin.

Photo of teammate Brian and I post race