When I planned my 2010 race schedule I decided to target the Rev3 Half Quassy, as I had heard from last year that the course was challenging (I love hills ... honestly I do!) and the large prize pool would draw a top pro field. True to predictions the course was a climber and athletes included the inspirational Mirinda Carfrae, Julie Dibens, Joanna Zeiger, Natasha Badmann (all previous World Champions) as well as other top athletes. By racing a stacked field I thought it would give me a good indicator of how I am going in comparison to some tough competition - also helping me evaluate areas I need to work on to be a serious contender at Clearwater later this year.
THE SWIM ... I often get nervous right before the gun goes off - but I seemed to keep myself reasonably calm and got off to a good start. I missed the first pack but was pleased to swim with Desiree Flicker and one other girl - so I swam hard with them. I felt good on the swim - relaxed in my stroke. The lake beautiful... calm, clean and warm.
THE BIKE ... Heading out I thought I was in a great position - only 3min 10sec behind the lead pack ... but later found out that was actually 5mins 10sec - eek! Time for some serious peddling. My legs felt heavy at the start, but eased into it after a few miles. After a while Natasha and Amanda passed me. I tried to keep pace and not lose sight of them - however this race was tough on the down hill and my lack of bike experience, and gearing, on a steep and rainy course definitely showed. Super sorry Amanda for the bottle loss that nearly wiped you out as I went over a bump - oops - half my nutrition gone and yours too! Hope you got by ok without it.
THE RUN ... I came off the bike and headed out on the run with Jessica Jacobs right behind me. I felt weak (probably due to the loss of nutrition - grr to that silly bump in the road) and my legs felt very heavy. It took about 2 miles to settle into my running pace. Mile 10 was a challenge with a churning tum and quick bathroom stop that helped me bounce back. I ran my little heart out to the end - ever hopeful to pass someone - and finished 10th.
Well done to Mirinda (1st), Kelly (2nd), and Sam (3rd) for your dominant performances. And also to Julie for sticking it out after smashing us all on the bike! What a legendary ride!
While it was a tough day out there I was pleased to take the following positives away with me ... My swimming still needs some work….losing 5mins is not good at the start! My cycling is improving….but some bike handling skills are needed. There is plenty for me to work on in the months and races to come.
Thanks to all the volunteers and the Rev 3 crew out there for putting on such an outstanding race. Rev 3 is a great series of races for anyone looking for some really organized and challenging races. You can definitely count me in for this race next year and I’m also looking forward to seeing any new races they come up with for 2011 to add to my race calendar.
Coming up next is Buffalo Springs Ironman 70.3 in 2 weeks. I’m looking forward to heading back to see the improvements I have made since last year. For now - back to some hard training ... fun times!
