GET OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE
We hear this expression a lot in triathlon and it’s
something I have not been good at executing in racing. I have a tendency to
race comfortably and too conservatively and that’s often the difference between
first place and second. Since Wildflower is not an Ironman event and there are
no qualifying slots, it makes it the perfect race to test things out and have
some fun. That was the plan this year. Joanna (my coach) and I have been
working on my cycling ever since we met (3 years and counting). It has slowly
improved but I haven’t had a significant breakthrough. It’s still my limiter in
every race. Since Oceanside we have been trying some new things with a heavy
bike focus, so we decided to take a different approach this time out. I would
try to push the limit and get out of my comfort zone and if I blew up, oh well.
It would be a lesson learned. Her
advice…ignore your power, don’t let anyone pass you, go until you blow up and
finish with nothing left. Sounds like a fun Saturday afternoon!
Ok onto the race stuff…
After a great visit in SLO with a fellow triathlete friend,
Sara Davis, I was off to Paso Robles with Steph Pacitto. We both agreed that a
hotel the night before the race would probably make for a better night’s sleep
than camping. The hotel wasn’t that far and we got to the race in plenty of
time race morning.
Swim- 8th place AG
I have always had a good swim at Wildflower. Last year I was
2nd out of the water with a PR of 27 mins. I was hoping for the same
result this year. Right before my wave started Michellie Jones, who was
announcing that day, kindly reminded every one that “Cortney Haile is here
today. She finished 2nd last year by just 1 second so you can believe
she is gunning for the win today.” Just what I wanted to be reminded of 30
seconds before the start of the race!
The gun sounded and I had a clean start but within a few
seconds was dropped from the lead pack. Ugh. I continued along with 1 girl next
to me and we made our way through the sea of swimmers from earlier waves. After
hitting the turn around buoy I finally bridged the gap to a pack of 3 girls. I
assumed this was the lead pack but I was wrong. The 4 of us swam the rest of
the way back, battling and fighting over position. I have never swam in a pack
this long during a race and it was tough. I figured this was the start of
getting out of my comfort zone and I wasn’t going to let them go. By the time
we got to the ramp I had worked my way up to 2nd in the pack. I
thought for sure I would see a PR when I looked at my watch. Instead I saw 32
minutes! WTH?? That’s the slowest wetsuit swim I have had in a while. I knew I
had a good swim so I decided not to worry about (later I would see that
everyone’s times were really slow, possibly due to a longer course).
I jumped on my bike and began what I knew was going to be a
tough ride. This course is hot and hilly and will test even the best cyclist.
Within a few minutes of leaving transition there is a long, sustained climb and
I felt like I was flying. My power was up and my legs were feeling good. For
the next 20 miles or so I didn’t get passed by anyone, male or female. I was
working hard but I was also having fun. Sometime around mile 20 a girl came
flying by me on an uphill with the highest cadence I have ever seen. I wasn’t
going to let her get away so I attacked and was able to re-pass her. The plan
was working! Her and I would continue this game for the next 20 miles though.
When we got to Lynch hill I started to worry because I knew she wasn’t too far
behind me and I knew she was a stronger climber. I had about 200 yards until the top of Lynch
when I heard “Come on girl, let’s do this.” It was her and I just looked and
said “Oh crap, you’re back.” That was the last time I would see her and she
would go on to win. SHE WAS THE ONLY PERSON TO PASS ME ALL DAY ON THE BIKE.
UGH. It turns out I had the 3rd fastest amateur bike split of the
race, even beating more than half of the pro women. Finally the breakthrough I
had been waiting for!! I ended up biking 14 minutes faster than last year and
on a much harder day. At that point, I knew however the race ended up I had to
view this day as a success.
Run- 3rd AG, 10th overall amateur
When I came into transition I saw there was only 1 bike on
the rack, so I knew I was in 2nd but I didn’t know how my legs were
going to respond after such a hard bike. Normally the run is my time to shine
and chase people down, but I had a feeling I was going to pay for that hard
bike effort, and I did. The first 2-3 miles didn’t feel so bad but it was so
hot in the trails and my legs started feeling heavier and heavier. By the time
I got to mile 4 and the start of the really nasty hills my legs were toast. I
was getting passed by people and I started to worry. What if I didn’t finish? I
would be one of those jerks who bikes super hard and leaves nothing left for
the run. I tried to put those thoughts out of my head and focus on what I could
control which was my nutrition. Thankfully by mile 6.5-7 my legs started to
come around just in time to run through the campground. This is the best part
of the race. For those who have never been, it’s hard to even describe. I saw
lots of friends and more naked dudes than I care to remember. Apparently some
of those “friends” sent one particular naked guy to find me on the trail and
run along side of me for about a quarter mile. There was nobody else on this section
of the course so it was just him, his heart rate strap and me (refusing to look
anywhere but straight ahead). Thanks guys! After leaving the trail, the course
becomes a death march into the “basin” that you eventually have to run back out
of. I think this year I managed to hold
it together a little better but that’s probably because I ran the first 6 miles
so painfully slow! But the last mile of this race is always fun as it’s a long downhill into
a great finish line area. I made sure to look over my shoulder several times in
that finisher chute this year to avoid last year’s debacle.
I ended up 2nd in my division and even though I
really wanted to win this year after taking 2nd last year, I was
happy with my race. I biked far better
than I ever knew I could and I ended up 4th overall amateur. Not a
bad day in my book. Overall it was a fun weekend with old friends and I even made some new ones, including Amy Olin who kicked my ass on the bike and has promised to do it again in training this summer! Oh and Saturday night I camped for the first time ever. I will continue to
go back to Wildflower but I think I can do without the camping!
Up next…Kansas 70.3 on June 9th
