The 2009 World Championship was an amazing experience to say the least. I had to buckle down and train on the bike and by foot for the first time ever really. After qualifying for worlds I gathered up $ to buy a new Kestrel Talon to train and race on which was a big chunk of change for me. After the outcome at worlds I was initially very upset because of my training didn't show on race day due to other outside factors.
I had the most support I have ever had for a race by family and friends it was amazing! I heard my name so many times while running and bike through the infield of lowe's motor speedway it certainly helped me push harder each time. Unfortunately for the spectators it was raining almost the entire time so it was a bit miserable, but it wasn't anything that beer and grey goose couldn't change.
10 minutes before the start of my world championships race, it hit me and i freaked. I left my ankle chip in the transition area as well as my cycling shoes were IN MY CAR!!! I was there for 3hrs socializing and not focusing that I forgot all of this. The transition area was closed but I convinced the monitor to please let me grab my chip and then to throw my shoes near my bike. Thank the lord I remembered my shoes and I got to the start line w/4 minutes to spare.
At the line, people were talking but in other languages, it was pretty cool. I was on the 2nd/3rd row from the front and then the gun fired. I wanted to be near the front of the pack because i knew i had good fitness but also because my fans would be at about 1/2m into the race cheering. We took off and at about that 1/2 mile I was thinking this is WAY to fast then I heard on the intercom, "if these guys keep this pace they will be running faster than the pro's, this is suicidal", then I knew I needed to back off a bit ha-ha. 5:05 was my first mile according to Cody. After a mile I began to have some very bad breathing problems so I tried to get my composure back so that I could finish solid.
Aubrey was in front of me the entire time, cody caught up at about 2.5 miles and I gave it all I had to stay w/him through the spectator area and just after that I couldn't do much more. at 2.5m when cody said "hey man they will start coming back to us" I told him to upzip my back because i could not breath at all, hoping this would open up my breathing, WRONG. That team USA one piece was just way too tight for me. I haven't had breathing problems like that in years, it sucks that it happened the day of the biggest race of my life!
Once the 10k finished it was raining really hard and my shoes were water logged. I hit the transition and noticed cody was already gone. I grabbed my bike and hit the road, with a slow mount and a slow start because there was a sharp curve and I was afraid to bust it. The 1st 2 miles I rode very conservative because I saw 5 people actually wreck it was crazy, we were riding through areas that were flooding. At about 4 miles into the ride my left leg began to get tight then I tried to stretch on the bike and it LOCKED UP. I had never had this happen in my life, it hurt so bad, i didn't know what to do because i couldn't pedal. I was going about 21mph, then i was coasting at about 11mph pedaling w/one leg.
At this point, i knew my race was way out of the window, with the goal not to wreck. Eventually after a couple miles the muscle lock released and I could pedal fairly normal. The 2nd loop, I finally decided to let it rip. 2 guys passed me with Disc and I said "F--k It, no one else is going to pass me and I am going to reel these 2 guys in" I went for it and rolled them up while maintaining a high cadence weaving through people. Catching guys in my division was a new thing for me, as the goal is to just not get passed by as many people as possible is the goal usually. When we hit one of the final climbs I clicked through my gears into the small ring real quick and BAM...the chain was on the ground 1/2 way up a hill, dammit!
After stopping and watching everyone pass me who I had spent the last loop putting ground on, it pissed me off. What a freakin day! I finally got back to my transition area and i realized when i went to mount my bike, cody's bike was in my place. I had a lot of trouble slipping into my shoes but finally hit the trail w/a roctane. I began passing people in the transition and knew I had a chance to roll up a lot of people, but it didn't happen like tri's or duathlons usually do for me. Mostly because I ran 18:19 for 5k which was the SLOWEST I have ever ran to close out a race. My breathing problems and cramping kept fighting each other, it sucked. with about 3/4m left, I passed one USA guy and said "come on we are almost there man", he jumped on my shoes and stayed there and tried to pass me going onto the last finishing straight away. We took 2 sides of the straight away passing numerous people in the middle and I knew I COULD not get out kicked in front of my family, so I gave it one big push and got 1 second on him in the end.
The experience is something to take w/me, knowing that the next big race, I need to get away from everyone 30minutes before the race to focus. I thought I was going to get hypothermia from the weather but i rushed from the speedway as soon as I could after giving congrats to aubrey and cody. What a race both of those guys had, i was proud to be apart of their group and a usa teammate. G$ was certainly the highlight of the race for most people, as he painted himself blue and had USA across his chest. After the 10k portion of the run, he managed to disappear and wind up asleep in a garage somewhere, PRICELESS....
Special thanks to all of my friends and family who came out, it meant a lot to me, thank you all for cheering in the cold and rain!!!
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