Racing in Columbia is a hometown race for Laurel and me since we grew up in Gaithersburg, Maryland, a short drive from the race course, and spent years competing in swim and track meets in the Columbia area. This year's race still had that hometown feel, but the start list with competitors from all over the place, brought the race to a different level. A few weeks before the event, I received news via a Twitter that Chrissie Wellington, might be coming to the race. This was exciting news for me because I always enjoy racing against people I've never faced before.
The night before the race, Laurel and I attended the Team Fight (triathlon training that raises money and awareness for the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults) dinner where lots of people were honored for their fundraising efforts. It was almost like a little pep rally and while it reminded us all what we are fighting for, it definitely got me in the mindset to FIGHT on race day.
On race morning, we woke up and were surprised to see that it wasn't pouring rain. Actually, it didn't start raining until we were already on the bikes and it stopped by the time we started running. Lucky for us, it was a non-wetsuit swim, we all still wore speedsuits, but the water didn't feel at all cold. We got to start with the guys which was great practice for the upcoming ITU races. Unfortunately, I got stuck behind a guy that dropped off the pack, so I had to regroup and eventually found Kelly Handel's feet to swim on. Laurel was right next to me. We all ran out of the water at about the same time, with a good lead over the rest of the field. At that point, I hopped on my bike and started riding as fast as I could. For anyone who hasn't done this race, the bike course is all hills, never flat (perfect for anyone who trains in New Paltz!). I didn't see anyone the entire ride, but I just kept pushing the pace. I was too concerned with going hard that I didn't even notice the rain. My Rudy Project aero helmet kept me aero and kept me warm! At the very end of the ride, coming into transition, Margie Shapiro was right behind, after riding a super fast split. On the run, I kept the pace controlled, running at about tempo pace, maintaining a lead, but at the same time saving something for a surge in case anyone tried to pass me. It turns out I ended up with a faster run than last year by about 10 seconds.
Laurel finished a few minutes back in 3rd place. Although she had a look of disbelief when she crossed the finish line, it was no surprise to me that she finished on the podium!!
Thanks to everyone who was out there supporting--we had the entire Wassner family + the entire Team Fight family!!
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