For the boulder sunset triathlon I had signed up for the Olympic distance. Despite trying to keep my running and swimming game up, I found no time to brick (run off the bike) in the past month. Plus, in spite of the name of my blog being "swim, bike, run, rinse, repeat" I'm a little burnt out on the tri grind. So I decided the week before that I would downgrade to the sprint. I just really wasn't feeling a 10k off a 26-mile bike and especially not that "trail run" 10k.
This particular sprint I was excited about because it was a long bike course - at 17 miles and the 5k cuts out the worst part of the 10k course so I actually began to get pretty excited!
Getting ready, much like last year, felt weird because it was such a late start. However, this race was super cool because Brett and Cassie (and of course Eric) came to support me, my friends Elena and Kristina were racing, and I ran into Liz from Tribella, another RMTC athlete Jeanette, and I was surprised to see TWO of my Northwestern teammates there - Kelly volunteering, and Will cheering on his CSU teammates.
The swim felt really cold - colder than last month in the Boulder Reservoir. Once again I hang with my group and other swimmers the entire way. This race was actually particularly bad (probably because sprinters tend to not be as good swimmers so there were more slow, panicky people), wrought with swimmers stopping, backstroking, zig-zagging, etc. coming around the turn buoy a girl immediately flipped on her back and started swimming all over the course - it was super annoying to have to figure out how to get around her.
I had left my swim watch in the car and didn't care a ton to go get it - so I had no idea how my swim went. I ran out with a fellow bike racer, Elena, and I respect her as an insanely strong athlete - so I figured it couldn't have been so bad. I quickly got out of transition and off I went (and never saw Elena again haha because she is one fierce time trialer). I did get passed by one other sprinter in my age group up the first hill and basically spent my bike race looking for her. Coming through I passed tons of girls in my age group - typical. Going up the first hill I had an older guy constantly sitting about a bike length off me. It got super annoying so after a few minutes I turned around and said "you've gotta stop drafting me, man!" and was incredibly relieved and happy to drop him when we hit 36. He was really pissing me off - I hate cheaters. Along 36 I could tell how much better my climbing game has gotten over the past few months. Finally I found the girl who passed me with another girl in my age group on a fierce descent. I tucked in and at that point, the bike traffic got pretty sparse and I began to wonder if I was in first place in my AG. With my brain in this mode, I immediately felt chased so I threw down the hammer - knowing I was almost done. This girl and I began going back and forth for the last 4 miles because she was a better climber. I came into transition with her and said "good ride! I was totally chasing you!"
My transitions were way better than hers so I beat her out on to the run by a bit but about a quarter-mile in, she and another woman in my age group came up and passed me. At this point I was convinced they had just run me into third - but in reality they had just run me off the podium. I later came to figure out I was 3rd at that point and they threw me in 5th with that pass.
I then spent the entire run getting passed, which was disappointing but further solidified that I made the right decision in switching to the sprint. I was honestly laughing at myself because a 5k was feeling hard and mentally I wanted to walk. I told myself - despite placement - to just keep running because I'd be so mad at myself if I didn't and it was just a 5k and walking was pathetic.
I finished and felt pretty happy. I got my results and placed 9th in my AG which I'm fairly happy with. Came to find out the other girl I'd been chasing for most of the bike beat my bike split by 10 seconds and another girl I never even saw did the bike course 2 min faster! Strong girl! So I ended up having the 3rd fastest bike split - which I was pretty happy about.
Overall, I had fun and could see myself sprinting again next year - but definitely didn't leave this tri itching to sign up for the next one, which I think is a sign that it is time to take some time off multisport.
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