Puerto Rico 70.3

I love the following quote from one of my favorite books Again to Carthage (John Parker):

"What I mean is that someone sees a race, and they think that’s what you do. They sort of know you had to train, but they weren’t watching then, so they don’t understand how incredibly much of it there is. But to us, it’s almost the whole thing. Racing is just this little tiny ritual we got through after everything else has been done. It’s a hood ornament."

It had special meaning to me this past week because getting back to the starting line was the big fight this year. These past few months I have felt stronger even than before my hip surgery last year. Despite feeling really strong and having some solid training under my belt, I was nervous about getting back on the starting line. Anyone that has followed my racing has likely noticed that I have struggled with the 70.3 distance. I often even go the same speed in a 70.3 as in a 140.6. I wanted to break that cycle this year, and also race well in the heat. Still though, I tried to go into this race without putting a lot of pressure on myself, and coach Tara even wrote the following in my race plan:

"Have fun in this first comeback race.  No matter your finishing position, just execute your race girlie.  You are ready to start your season."

Being around friends during the race weekend definitely helped to make it fun and keep the nerves at bay. A group of local athletes from Hampton Roads was there for the race including Lucero, Robin, Diana, JP, Tanya and Tony. Lucero, Tony and Diana are coached by the Dai Roberts Group and both Dai and his wife Denise came down for the race. Even though I am not one of their coached athletes, they showed me a tremendous amount of support over the weekend and I am very grateful to have had them there. Lucero and Diana graciously let me stay with them when my arrangements fell through. Robin invited me on some island adventures with her. Lucero's mother took all of us in. Lucero and mama Lucero even pretended it was my birthday at dinner one night so that they would deliver cake to me, make me laugh and calm my pre race nerves. After the race I was able to catch up with friends Tomasz and Kasia. Tomasz met me when I was first getting into triathlon. I remember at Providence 70.3 in 2010 he asked me what age group I was in. When I answered 18-24, he said oh, the Ironkids division! It has been really fun staying in touch with him over the years. I was also able to catch up with our friend Kiley, who finished in a great 2nd in AG despite flatting on the bike. Overall, I was once again reminded of the generosity and kindness of the triathlon community. Big congrats to everyone for a great day out there!

My "birthday" celebration

Despite a hot, tough day, this girl (Lucero) always had a big smile on her face

I wasn't quick enough with the camera to get everyone, but here is Tanya. Sometimes I have a hard time hearing cheers on the course but I heard her, thanks girl!

Kiley, 2nd 30-34 even with a flat

Post race dinner out with friends Tomasz and Kasia

Race morning came quickly and I walked down to the swim start with new pro and fellow Virginian Samone. It's always nice getting to meet the other women and chat with them. After a short warm up, I lined up with the other women. The start was not quite as fast as I expected, or maybe I'm finally getting better at race starts. Getting my butt kicked at masters swim has probably helped with that :) I was able to get in with a really good group and stayed with them, resulting in probably my best non-current aided swim. I didn't fall on my face coming down the ramp steps, gave Denise a big grin for starting the day off well and started the long trek to T1.

 

Before the swim start, getting zipped into my awesome Zoot swim skin by Tony

At the start of the bike I passed a few women and settled into my effort. I had my concentrated bottle of Infinit that I was taking gulps from every 10 min to get some good calories and sodium. The bike course was a fun, fast course. They actually closed a large portion of highway for the race so we were treated to wide lanes, some small hills (mostly overpasses and exit ramps) and some great views of the ocean. At the pro meeting the day before, one of the Ironman employees joked that he was on the iguana scraping team and the roads did look very clean. I almost added to the dead iguana count myself though when one ran right in front of my oncoming bike.

Thank you Phil at Competitive Image for this amazing photo, and was very nice to meet you walking back from dinner one night!

I had decided before the race to wear my Smith Optics road helmet and really think that it helped me to not overheat too much. Even so I could feel myself starting to get hot in the last 10-15 miles and at that point we were riding into the head/cross wind to get back to T2. At this point I made the hard but important decision to listen to myself and dialed back my effort just a little. I also decided that I would probably need to go out more conservatively than I had originally planned on the run. I wanted to spend the first few miles focusing on cooling and not overheating.

Some bike photos from ATV photography, thank you Allan!

It was already pretty warm starting the run. Not "melt your face off hot" like my homestay Kelly described the 2014 Ironman Louisville, but nonetheless pretty hot. Plus we have only had a couple days in Virginia where it has gotten into the low 80s for a high. I knew cooling, hydration and salt would be critical. I had done well with electrolytes on the bike in my custom mix and for the run I carried some extra Base Performance salt to keep them topped off. I grabbed as many cups of water and ice from the aid stations as I could. Luckily I had my Zoot tempos that felt light on my feet, drained the water well, and left me with zero blisters. The volunteers were awesome, and I'm sorry for any I accidentally threw water onto! I went a little back and forth with one of the ladies early in the run and then she pulled away. I was determined to run my own race and knew that I was making the right decision holding back a little.

Thank you ATV photography for this photo! Holy quads

The run course is two loops and at the far end of the course we passed through the gate of San Juan and ran along the side of the fort. This area has been deemed "the microwave" because the heat radiates off the tall fort walls. Since it is a national park, it is also the longest stretch without aid (about 1.5 mi). I really loved this part though. The views were amazing and after a few short, steep hills it was nice to have a long flat stretch to pick up some momentum. Back out the gate it was a short, steep cobblestone hill. Turning around for the second loop I knew I was going to be able to have a good last 6 miles. Entering the fort again I could see 3 women not too far ahead. I picked it up a little and made the passes before going back through the gate. I ran hard up the cobblestone hill and then kept a good steady push the last two miles, scared they would summon some energy reserves and pass me back.

Thank you again Phil at Competitive Image photo for these great shots, you were saying you just want to make the athletes look cool and I think you did!

There was one final hill right before the finish chute and then I could see the line I'd been waiting over a year to see again. I was grinning from ear to ear, slapping high fives and was so excited to be back in the game. I was extremely pumped to be 5th, my best placing in a 70.3. Even more than that though I was proud of myself for racing within myself and executing a good day. I controlled my race rather than letting the race control me, and that is a lesson I will keep with me.

Thank you to my new Puerto Rican friend Emma for this picture! She helped me during check in, wished me luck before the swim (and took that pre-swim photo) and gave me a big hug at the finish while she was volunteering. I love this community!

After the race I chatted with several of the professional women. I have always been very impressed at how gracious and nice they all are. I met several at this race that I hadn't met before and am looking forward to seeing them again at other races this season. I've had the pro women celebrate with me after a good result and comfort me after a not so great day. They set wonderful examples and I am proud to be a part of the group.

Big congrats to Tine Decker! And all of the professional women

I got a few calories in, a little post race massage, grabbed my stuff from transition and called Brian. He more than anyone has seen firsthand the work I've put in to get back this season. He was really excited for me that everything came together on race day, especially since he knows I've had trouble before with 70.3s. I also had stolen his orange Smith sunglasses for the race so I think now I will have to keep racing with them :P I called my coach Tara and she was ecstatic that all the training has paid off and I was able to race smart. It is always so awesome to look at my phone after the race and see the incredible pouring in of support from friends and family. Usually regardless of the result! I know some might say it's "just" 5th, but I honestly felt like I had won with the amount of encouragement and congratulations I received. So I thank you all so much for that. Huge thank yous to the companies that support me. I was wearing my Zoot kit from last year (which was pretty fitting for my comeback race), so look out for my new Team Zoot kit coming shortly. Zoot makes the best tri kits, and I love the Zoot tempo shoe and swim skin. I loaded up on Beet Performer (use code rachel16 for 15% off at Amazon!) pre-race and really feel a difference drinking it on a regular basis. Pre-race I drank some Infinit mud for a little boost and then used my custom bike mix in a concentrated bottle for the bike (available in their community formulas!). I felt well fueled and hydrated, then post race the nocturne helped with my recovery. The Garmin 920 and Vector pedals were the perfect tools to make sure I was maintaining good efforts and paces. The neon Smith optics helmet had perfect venting for a hot day and I love their sunglasses. Ghent chiropractic is always making sure my body is working properly so I don't have any twinges on race day. Even though I dread ART work on my psoas, my stride appreciates it.

Lucero, Robin and I after the race enjoying some shade (something that was in short supply on the course!)

I also want to give a big thank you to my surgeon Dr. Andrew Wolff of Washington Orthopedics and Sports Medicine for doing such a great job on my hip. He was very reassuring and attentive and understood my goals to get back to full training and racing. My PT Dr. Lucas Johnson and his assistant JP worked closely with me on my rehab and I would not be in the shape I am now with no issues if it weren't for them.

I don't usually get to do the destination race thing. So now, a montage of my time in Puerto Rico:

Pre race checking out the Camuy Caves, really pretty

Who needs horse trailers in Puerto Rico

I did a bit of a caffeine taper for the race, so was very excited to get some Puerto Rican coffee after

I wanted to get some pictures of the architecture for my brother (an architecture student at RPI). I loved all the colorful buildings and different doors.

The gate of San Juan, it was pretty cool running through this, the same gate the king used to arrive through.

La Fortaleza San Felipe Del Morro. The fort we ran through twice on the far end of the run course. Also called "the microwave" because the heat radiates off the fort walls. I really loved this part of the course though.

Steep cobblestone hill we ran up right after exiting the fort. Another fort we ran by (La Fortaleza San Cristobal)

Some of the wildlife, still sad I didn't see a manatee. Brian got so excited about the iguanas, he really wanted me to try and catch one. 

The day after the race, we chased some fish around in the clear water. Saw lots of cool fish, including my favorite sergeant major fish, a barracuda, surgeonfish, angelfish, lionfish, and some colorful wrasses and damselfish.

It was Luceros' turn for a fake birthday at our post-race celebration. Loved getting to hang out with all these wonderful people!

A few last minutes relaxing by the ocean before flying out

Don't call it a comeback! Excited for the rest of this season. Up next some local racing and then IMTX!

Nanny

Recently (January 12), my maternal grandmother passed away. Writing this has been therapeutic for me and a way to share with friends and family all my favorite memories. She was an incredible role model for me and I will miss her very much. I was fortunate to be able to spend some time with her on January 8, but of course there is never enough time.

We all affectionately refer to my grandmother as Nanny, which originated from my cousin Eric. She only lived about 45 min from us, so we were able to see her quite often growing up. We really looked forward to Nanny's visits, often waiting at the window for her car to pull in and then running outside yelling "Nanny!" We would then help bring in all the goodies she brought with her, including her famous apple sauce and pies. Even our dog Rugby, couldn't contain his excitement and would wiggle and whine until Nanny gave him some of her best ear scratches.


Rugby getting some ear scratches

Every year we spent a week at Nanny's house, and we all looked forward to it. The first week my sister, our cousins Eric and Rachel (on our mother's side) would stay at Nanny's and then my three brothers Nathan, Jeremy and Jacob would go the second week. Since having two Rachels got confusing, everyone included our middle names so I was called Rachel Anne and my cousin was called Rachel Kara. Rebekah and Eric were similar in age, and Rachel Kara and I were similar in age so we teamed up accordingly. Bekah and Eric usually beat us in any games. I remember one Christmas in particular when we built snow forts and had a snowball fight. Our fort was pretty pathetic and was toppled easily. Bekah and Eric basically built an impenetrable ice fortress and crushed us. Each day of our week at Nannys we all did something fun. One of the days we would go to an old carousel where each of us would grab rings as we went flying by and try to fling them into a clown mouth. If you were lucky enough to get a golden ring, our carousel time was extended by a free ride. Another day we would go to a movie, but first we had to stop at a store to get candy to smuggle in in Nanny's purse. We would spend a day at what we considered to be the best playground ever because it had a pirate ship fort. Sometimes we would stop at McDonalds for happy meals on the way home, something that was a rare treat. Nanny always had the best kid food and the week was filled with Celeste mini pizzas, spaghettios and her amazing homemade mac and cheese. Even if we spent the day at the house there was plenty of fun to be had. Nanny had skateboards and bikes in her garage and we would ride back and forth in front of her house. There were all sorts of bats and balls to make up games in her backyard. She had two trees in her front yard and while most of us could make it up the small dogwood tree, you were the ultimate tree climber if you could climb the large maple tree. We weren't supposed to go behind the big trees in the back but would often try to sneak back there and explore. On rainy days Nanny had every single Land Before Time movie and we watched them all. We were such big Land Before Time fans that she had all of the character cups. We would fight over who got the best ones but somehow I always ended up with Spike. Spike is not portrayed as being very bright in the movies... This prompted my siblings to then give me some Spike related gift every Christmas.


Some of my Spike gifts

Nanny had a couple shows she loved to watch in the evenings including Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune. She often fell asleep during the shows, and we were supposed to be asleep in the giant bed (at least it seemed giant when we were little and could sleep four across) in her guest room. We would sneak out into the hall and try to see how much dancing and giggling we could get away with without her waking up. Remember those monkeys you would hang together by their arms? At one point we even dared to try and see how many we could hang on Nanny without her waking up. I was always amazed that every night she would meticulously put rollers in her hair and then every morning the rollers came out and she fashioned her hair into her characteristic style. If we weren't outside playing, or watching Land Before Time or out on one of our day trips, we would play with Nanny's lite brite, pick carrots and other vegetables from her garden, or we might all play the No Name Game. The No Name Game was a large wooden board with holes for marbles. It was similar to Parcheesi but you played with playing cards and the cards you drew dictated what moves you could make. I can't remember all the rules now but it was one of our favorite games. Those weeks at Nanny's house were some of the best parts of my childhood.

Nanny often came to visit us for a few days at a time. If it was a holiday, everyone looked forward to her famous apple pie. Luckily she made an extra for each family. She also made homemade bread and applesauce that had to rationed out so that the kids wouldn't just eat that for dinner. I can't remember a time when Nanny ever raised her voice at us, but we all had the utmost respect and admiration for her. She seemed to grow with us. She played with us when we were younger and spoiled us with the kind of great food that little kids love. As I got older Nanny and I sat at the kitchen table and just talked. When you could get her talking, she was a great story teller. Mostly I wanted to hear all her stories about her pets. She had a sister with a dalmatian named Princess and Nanny had two cats named Lucky and Simone. She loved animals and Rugby was usually nearby pawing at her for some scratches. We didn't talk much about my grandfather, who passed away when my mom was five. It always just seemed like it would make Nanny sad. I do remember her sister telling us that all the ladies liked my grandpa Albert and Nanny was the one to snag him. Nanny also had incredible style. Even late in life she always had her hair done and a nice outfit on with matching jewelry. I love looking at pictures of her when she was younger because she had this classic and elegant look. I especially love the pictures of her in a nice skirt, blouse and heels playing on the floor with her grandkids.


With my mom and dad


At my parents wedding


With my sister Rebekah

 
With Rebekah, my mom and our cousin Eric


She always was filled with such spunk and joy


Nanny and I at my first birthday


Playing on the beach with my cousin Eric


It looks like Rebekah was ready for some special ops spy endeavor


Instructing on proper pinata swinging technique


The first birthday for my twin brothers Nathan and Jeremy


Sitting on the floor with the kids in her skirt and heels


I didn't seem to inherit her sense of style but hopefully I got a few of her other great characteristics


A quiet moment with my youngest brother Jacob


A trip out for some balloons


A day at Nannys with all her fun toys


In front of the dogwood tree in her front yard

 
With my brother Nathan, she had a lot of love to give


Nanny used to paint us t-shirts. She knew I loved animals and my favorites were usually the ones with some kind of puppy dog.

 
Nanny's famous pies one holiday

I was very fortunate to be able to visit with Nanny in her last few days. Her health had deteriorated this past year. In August she had some compression fractures in her back, and her memory was beginning to fail her. On January 8th she seemed to be having a good day. Nanny had trouble hearing and would mostly sit and listen when we visited. She had just gotten her hearing aids fixed so was very conversational. I brought us some sandwiches, and pulled out the same plates I had eaten her delicious mac and cheese from when I was very young. We sat at the table eating sandwiches and sipping tea and chatting. Mostly I told her what was going on in my life and showed her pictures of our dogs. We looked around her apartment at some of the trinkets I had given her as a kid. Nanny collected tea pots and I teased her about one that had an elf face, calling it creepy. She looked shocked and exclaimed that it was her favorite one. We talked about a clock she had in her kitchen that looks like a painting board and how we could never tell what time it was when we were younger. I hadn't originally planned on being home last week, so I feel very grateful that I had those last few moments with Nanny. I gave her a hug, told her I loved her and drove home with my mom.

  
My last pictures with Nanny during a visit in September. Brian was also with me. We were able to visit with her over lunch and then we went up to visit her sister Florrie and brother in law Frank who was a former Marine and liked chatting with Brian.

 
At my sister and I's graduation

I am also very grateful that Nanny was able to attend our wedding in 2012. She gave me her engagement ring and my sister has her wedding band. I feel that these rings not only tie me to my grandma, but also to my sister. The diamonds in the two rings belonged to my great grandmothers broach. I love the following pictures from our wedding because I feel they capture her style, spunk and incredible wisdom.

  
Pre ceremony

  
Being escorted by my youngest brother Jacob and then sitting with my paternal grandmother

 
Sitting with my paternal grandparents and mom, Brian and I with all my grandparents

  
I love this picture

  
Always sassy, she was probably getting after my brother for taking pictures of her eating

  
My favorite picture on the left, I hope I inherited just a little of her spunkiness

  
I honestly can't remember what we were talking about, but I'm sure she was either laughing about something or giving a new bride some great advice

It is very difficult for me to try and encompass the character that Nanny was in words. Her greatest quality was the amount of love that she had to give. I rarely saw her without a smile, even later on when her health was declining. She always seemed overjoyed to spend time with her grandchildren. When I called or visited she never wanted to talk about herself, but loved to sit and listen as we updated her on our lives. As I mentioned, the one thing I could really get her talking on was her former pets (Lucky, Simone and her sister's dog Princess, or sometimes her different recipes. She was very spunky, often doing a little dance around the kitchen or giving someone a little unexpected zinger. She was sassy and if we got out of line would quickly and quietly remind us how to act. She had a great outlook on life and imparted a lot of wisdom and advice, but was never condescending. She seemed to know what the important things in life were and encouraged us to overcome all the little trifles and troubles. She genuinely loved being a part of everyone's lives. I am grateful for all of the time I spent with her and the lessons she imparted to have a loving and selfless attitude and to remember the importance of time with family.