I started out the week sick with gastrointestinal issues and in bed.
Having not eaten much all week, Friday's pre race nutrition was simply Saltines and Sprite. They were the only thing that didn't upset my stomach.
It was a rough week, needless to say. I was pretty sure I wasn't going to toe the start line. This saddened me since I love this race so much. It's my home race, I know the course by heart, and the altitude suits me.
Saturday showed up and I felt well enough to swim... (well enough, but I considered putting Sprite in my waterbottle)
I went out as hard as I could. I got to the 1st buoy in the lead, but not by far enough. Mauricio Mendez was on my feet, and that was all I had. He went by me and I couldn't stay with him. The next group of swimmers caught me and I was able to stay with them and recover enough to lead them out of the water... and stand up, and not move. I was finished. I shuffled through transition and got riding.
I blew up immediately when the climb started. Whenever I pushed into the red zone, I had to recover at almost a standstill. Finally, I crested the climb when my friend Rife caught me. He had started many waves behind and got me motivated to keep going. We raced for a while which helped my mental state.
Coming into transition, I received overwhelming support, which always helps me. I needed it since my quads cramped severely and not surprisingly early in the run. At the halfway point, Tina and our friend Austin decided I REALLY needed help. They ran with me to keep me going. This kept my spirits up and allowed me to finish.
Considering I was unlikely to start this race, I had fun getting 2nd out of the water, racing Rife, and running with Tina and Austin.
Sprite and Saltines? No, not good pre-race fuel.
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