French Creek Tri

I had been meaning to get up to this race for the past couple years but it hadn't worked with my schedule. This year I had been planning on doing the race right after IMTX but then found out I wouldn't be able to run for 6 weeks. Race director and friend John let me switch into the aquavelo and generously found somewhere I could stay for the weekend.

Race director extraodinaire John Kenny

Some of the volunteers and race staff, fabulous people!

I arrived Friday evening and was excited to see how pretty the park was where the race would be held. Saturday morning I headed down to the start area and began helping with setup. I was a little limited on lifting heavy stuff so instead worked on marking the kids course. Once the kids started arriving I was on body marking. It was so much fun getting to chat with the kids and hear how excited they were to race, even in the rain. Shortly before the kids races were set to go off I changed into my Zoot Prophet (the water was in the 60s! chilly for me!), grabbed a buoy and headed into the water. There were several of us out in the water just watching the kids and offering the buoy for them to grab a hold if they needed a little break. I was chilly in my wetsuit, but these kids were troopers! Very few had wetsuits and they plunged into the water no problem. One tiny little thing hit the water and her face just went nope! But she kept trucking along in her adorable little mermaid suit. It was a chilly rainy day, but I didn't hear any complaints from the kids. They were all big smiles.

After the kids race was all wrapped up I headed out to check out the bike course with one of the other volunteers. He raced the sprint the next day and finished in an impressive 2nd! I'm glad I was able to get out on the course because there was some good climbing. That evening, I met my cabin mate and pro triathlete Emily. She had met my husband Brian before so it was nice to finally meet in person and chat about her injuries, recovery,  and impressive start to her pro career. It was nice having someone else to hang out with for the weekend! We were racked together the next morning and had a fairly amusing morning getting our stuff together.

Some super attractive pictures of me getting my stuff together in transition

We were laughing so hard because the photographer picked that moment to take a pic while Emily was trying to fix her suit under her wetsuit

        

Contemplating the cold water, glad I had my prophet!

Since I was in the aquavelo I started with men in their 30s. It made for a good fast start and I was able to practice getting in with a good group. My feet went numb fairly quickly but the colder water meant no overheating. The swim was two loops for the olympic and as I glanced at my watch exiting the water I was pretty happy with my effort.

 

 

With my very recent stress reaction diagnosis I was on strict no running. This meant I had to talk from the swim exit to my bike in transition. It was pretty funny having swam hard and then casually strolling into transition. It was also one of the reasons I was putting zero pressure on myself and just wanting a fun day with no risks. Since I knew I would already have a long transition I figured why not be warm and throw on a vest and arm warmers? I get cold easily so was happy to start the bike pretty toasty warm.

The bike for this race is very challenging with a few good climbs and you do the loop twice. I had been worried about how my hip would hold up climbing hard and was happy to find that it was ok. I was able to put in a good effort and enjoyed getting some good hills in after training mostly on flat farm roads. It was a little anticlimactic riding into transition and stopping there rather than continuing on to the run. It was still really fun to be in the race environment again though. It was great to see Emily having a great day as well, finishing as the first female. She did tell me that the run course was tough as well, but also very scenic.

How cool is it that the race photos are free!

After I finished I wandered over to the post race food. I was super impressed by the amount and quality of hot food for all the racers! This race is everything I would expect from John, tough course, scenic venue and great food. I ended up winning my category (female aquavelo).... but I was also the only one in my category.... Still though, I ended up with a little gift card and there was all sorts of swag and gift cards for age group winners. Very cool, even a bouquet for the female sprint/olympic winners. 

Overall, a very fun race weekend getting to see both sides as a volunteer and racer. I hope to come back next year healthy so I can race the whole thing!

This race report was a little delayed so I am happy to report that I just started running again this week and I feel good! Even though I took a 6 week break from running, the biking/pool running/swimming that Tara has had my doing has me feeling very fit. I feel that I have maintained some good fitness for the run and have even improved on the bike and swim. Last weekend I was able to get some good riding in my home state of RI while visiting some close friends and family. After a solid few weeks of training I will be heading to Utah tomorrow for a little vacation! Pretty good timing as well with a little running build (good trails out there!). We will be rock climbing, hiking, mountain biking and camping. I will take lots of pictures and post an update once we are back.

Lemons: struggles of a female athlete

Remember that saying? When life gives you lemons, make lemonade? I made a lot of lemonade last year. When I found out I needed surgery I really came to terms with it pretty quickly. It had to be done so I just wanted to do it and get on with it. I knew injuries can be much much worse, and while missing a season wasn't awesome, it was just one season. Last year I handled my recovery very well and remained pretty positive throughout the whole thing. My thinking was always ok I put in the time recovering properly this year and I can have a solid season next year. With a solid race at Puerto Rico 70.3 it was definitely looking to be a great season.

About a month out from Texas I noticed some pain in the groin/hip flexor region on my right side (it was my left side that I had surgery on last year). I honestly wasn't extremely worried about it and figured I likely strained something. I went to PT right away and was working on being as proactive as possible. Since the discomfort had been going away after about a half mile I continued to train for my last two peak weeks. I even had an awesome 23mi (3 hr) run 2 weeks out from Texas. My fitness was great and despite the injury I had remained confident I could still have a great race. A couple days (and a couple runs) after that 3 hr run, the pain in my hip became worse and was no longer easing off during the run. I took a week off running, figuring I wouldn't run until the race if necessary since I was still confident in my build up and fitness. I wasn't really showing major signs of a stress fracture or labral tear and we chalked it up to some misalignment, compensation and inflammation issues. I was scheduled to leave for IMTX on Wed May 11. On Tues May 10 I tried a short run (10 min) at PT. I stepped off the treadmill and my PT asked how it felt. Not good, I answered. It had been extremely difficult to get through a 10 min run, and while I could probably get through the marathon, at what cost? Plus it would probably be the most miserable marathon of my life. However, I was still hanging on to a thread of possibility that I could race. I had worked so hard in my build up to IMTX, I was in the best shape I think I've ever been in for an IM. I was so close.

I left PT a bit tearful with plans to come back later that day to try one last ditch effort to correct my misalignment and see if it made a difference. I have to give my PT a huge thank you for doing everything in his power to see if we could figure it out before I was scheduled to leave. I called coach Tara on the way home and we quickly made the decision that I wouldn't race. I knew it was the right decision, but I still needed her to talk me through it. I needed someone that knew the ins and outs of the work I had put in to tell me it would be ok. Very dramatic I know.

Post decision I talked to my PT about going to an orthopedist to get an MRI done. Then I took my pups out for froyo and started planning some fun things to do that weekend that would take my mind off not racing. I saw a different ortho from last year, and initially talked to his PA. The PA was thinking tendonitis but wanted to rule out a stress fracture. After everything I dealt with last year I was grateful for him ordering an arthrogram (would show stress fracture, labral tear, tendonitis etc etc) just in case. I wasn't showing any symptoms of a labral tear, but I am of course paranoid of all things hip injury related.

I had a really fun weekend despite the change in plans. I went out with some awesome ladies. Brian and I had a nice evening playing mini golf and eating huge desserts. I went for a fun long ride (bakery stop included) with some great guys. We went kayaking with some good friends. Lastly we had a fun evening at the beach and dinner with some rock climbing friends.

I had my arthrogram and was nervous about how familiar this whole thing has been relative to last year. The radiologist very kindly called me personally early the next day to let me know the results himself. He told me he could see a small labral tear and a stress reaction. My heart sank (I even exclaimed noooooooooooooo on the phone). Last year I had had a large labral tear and a stress fracture. He quickly followed up by saying that when he does hip/shoulder arthrograms on athletes, most of the time there are small labral tears but since I was asymptomatic it was likely nothing to worry about (phew). He then told me that the stress reaction (swelling in the bone) was early (no fracture yet) so would not require as much time to heal as a fracture would. I silently realized that if I had run IMTX it would have likely developed into a fracture.

I saw the ortho that afternoon, and honestly seconds after he walked through the door I was not a fan. This was my first time meeting with him and immediately after walking through the door he said you're too skinny, you don't eat enough. Now my friends are well aware how much I eat since I usually finish their meals at dinners out... He then proceeded to be very condescending and even said that I probably wouldn't be able to do well at Lake Placid with this short break from running (clearly he doesn't know me very well). All I really wanted to know was when I could run again, and he indicated 6 weeks from my last run which would put me at June 15, not horrible. I would still be able to swim, pool run, bike, elliptical to my hearts content as long as their was no pain/discomfort. The one thing he did mention that was useful information was that I should talk to an obgyn about possible low estrogen.

I figured hey, if the doctor was insisting I was too skinny then that is just an excuse to eat some spaghetti and meatballs and ice cream!

Here is where this may be too much information, but hopefully might be helpful for other female athletes. It is somewhat well known that female athletes are at a higher risk for things like stress fractures and anemia. The increased risk for stress fractures has been linked to vitamin D deficiencies and also low estrogen. Estrogen likes body fat, so since endurance athletes are often very lean, estrogen can become low. Estrogen also helps to protect the bones. I had skipped a few cycles and had been somewhat irregular. I hadn't been worried about it too much since it happens to female endurance athletes all the time. Last year in addition to the labral tear that I had surgery to repair I had also had a stress fracture. Initially I had assumed it was solely due to the instability in my hip joint from the tear. However, I had gotten off birth control early last year because I really just didn't like being on it. It was starting to click. The birth control could have been providing me with the estrogen needed to preserve my bone health. Possibly related (but maybe not), osteoporosis runs in my family (both my mom and maternal grandmother). I went to the obgyn and had some blood work done. My estradiol was a bit low (normal is 50, mine was 37), and my vitamin D was borderline normal. The obgyn put me back on birth control to increase the estrogen to protect me bones and encouraged me to continue to take Vitamin D and calcium.

I am really sad to miss a couple races that had been on my schedule (IM Texas and Eagleman 70.3), but am confident that I will be ok for the rest of the season. Even without running, I feel like I've been able to do some pretty solid training. I have two weeks left until I can start running again and my hip is actually feeling really good. I feel like I could run now, but a friend in the medical field said when it feels good, give it two more weeks. That puts me right at June 15 so I'm feeling good about the recovery. I am getting pretty over pool running, but sometimes we have to do things we aren't super excited about to get where we want to go.

Lessons from rock climbing

Several years ago Brian and I were listening to Chris McCormick's book "I'm here to win" driving to a race. In the book he mentions learning from other sports and athletes. For him, he took lessons from boxing. Within the past year Brian has been getting really into mountaineering and rock climbing. I have jumped on board as well and now we go to the rock gym a couple times a week and will often climb on the weekend (I usually meet them after doing a long run on the trails). Getting into rock climbing has been an awesome and humbling experience. It is a lot of fun interacting with a different type of athlete and also learning a new sport. It's fun to have an activity that I do without worrying about being competitive. If I make a harder route, cool, if not that's ok too. I've been thinking a lot recently about the lessons I've had in rock climbing and how they can apply to triathlon. In fact, like Macca, I also think it is important that we learn from other sports and athletes. Even within triathlon, I have often encouraged athletes to ride with pure cyclists, swim with pure swimmers and run with pure runners. You will develop important skills such as bike control, pacing or form. You will also likely be challenged by them and trying to stick with someone in training that is faster than yourself will make you a better athlete both physically and mentally. Rock climbing and triathlon seem so different but I have still been able to learn a lot and apply it to my training. It has been very refreshing to meet new people with a different outlook on sport. Below are some of the lessons I have learned.

Trust your feet
I have a hard time keeping my feet on the wall. They always seem to want to slide out from under me, leaving me dangling. My climbing buddy Shea is always telling me "trust your feet," meaning that I should be confident that my feet will support me as I reach for the next hold. In triathlon, you have to trust that your feet will carry you to the finish line. IM Lake Placid 2014 was the first time that I really thought my feet might fail me. I was on the second loop of the run and my body was slowly shutting down. With a mere 2 miles to go I felt that my legs would buckle and I wouldn't be able to go on. In climbing it's always feet before hands. You have to think about your foot placement before you start reaching for holds. Your feet are your base, place your feet then worry about the rest. In Lake Placid I had to just keep putting one foot in front of the other and trust that my feet would carry me to the finish.

Just go for it

The shorter girls at the gym (including myself in this little group) often hate this saying. Usually it comes when we are trying to work our way through a problem with holds that are difficult to reach. A tall male may come over and say "oh you just have to go for it." The "just" in that sentence seems a lot easier with a foot longer wingspan though. I have even spread my arms out in front of one such individual and he responded with an oh yeah... Us short girls stick together and try to come up with creative ways to work through a problem that has a difficult reach. Maybe by bringing a hip to the wall or smearing a foot, pushing off and just praying that contact is made. When Brian is helping me work through a problem he pretends that he is much shorter to think about different ways to get a bit more reach. Sometimes though, despite all of our creative efforts, it really does come down to just going for it. This is where I often have trouble. If it is a high, big move I sometimes hesitate and second guess myself, especially on boulder problems without the rope safety net. I am working on going for it anyway though. Just because something is scary doesn't mean we shouldn't go for it. In fact the things that have scared me the most, and I went for it anyway, have been the most rewarding.

Don't come off the wall
This one is related to "Just go for it." One of my biggest struggles with climbing has been very overhanging routes. Maybe it is related to my distaste for doing pull ups, even though they "build character" as our friend Zack would say. My friend Shea has belayed me on a few overhanging routes. There have been several times where I get to the crux (the hard part of the route) and just can't seem to make the move. My first reaction is to let go and ask to be let down, "I'll try it again later" I tell myself, "I'm too tired" I say. Shea sits back and yells up "try it again!" not letting me down until I give it another go. I rest a minute, shake out my arms, try it again and again can't get the crux. "Just once more" she'll yell (though I know once more doesn't necessarily mean once more). We've done this a few times, and you know, I often get it eventually without being let down. Or if I do eventually come down, I'll come back to the same problem until I can get it. This has shown me that even when you're tired and disheartened, if you just keep at it, it will eventually come together.

Learning how to fall
Sometimes you fall, and you know what? Falling is ok, good in fact because it means you probably went for it. You should never not go after something because of a fear of falling or failure. This is something I myself am still working on because sometimes goals or rock climbing problems are scary. The higher the move or the bigger the goal, the scarier falling/failing becomes. So you go for it and maybe you fall off the wall, or you come up a little short on your goal. They way you fall is important. In rock climbing it is important to get your feet under you. When you come up short on a goal, you get your feet under you by determining why you fell short and then learning from it for next time. Most importantly, after you fall, take a step back, assess what you could have done differently, then get back on the wall. You can't be on every day, but you can learn from every day.

Look at the problem
My husband Brian is always getting after me for this one. I am an impetuous, impatient person and I will jump on a problem without even looking at it. I often won't even look at what direction it is going in or where the top out is. I'll figure it out as I go, I tell myself. Brian will tell me, hold on, look at the problem before you get on the wall. Which hand are you going to go up to that next hold with, where are your feet going to be placed? I take the same approach to training and racing. I want to be in constant motion, I don't want to think about training/racing, I just want to be out there doing it. Now I take a much bigger effort to incorporate visualization into my routine. I think about ways that I can improve my performance outside of training including eating well, recovering, stretching, and foam rolling. My coach and I work out a race plan but also talk about how I can make changes based on my perceived effort and the conditions or competition.

Take breaks
Not surprisingly, based on my admission of being pretty impetuous and impatient, this one is also difficult for me. I will get on a route and move up it quickly, not pausing at all, wanting to be in constant motion. I've told Brian before that I never really did well in sports that required me waiting. I got bored playing softball as a kid because I had to wait to go up to bat, or I had to wait in the outfield for someone to hit the ball. It's probably why I love endurance sports so much, I love being in motion. If I'm climbing a route that isn't difficult relative to my ability level, then this isn't a problem. However, if I'm climbing something that is challenging I will often still try to hurry up it and then as I get closer to the top I find that I am getting the dreaded "pumped" feeling (forearms are getting very fatigued). Lately I have been trying to make sure I take small breaks. If I get to a good point where I have a good hold, I will shake out each arm, get a little chalk and then move on. Triathlon training and racing also requires building in breaks. Over the years of working with coach Tara I have learned to appreciate and even enjoy my easy weeks. She used to tell me to not fight the recovery. I try to work hard on my "on" days so that when recovery comes along I am ready for it and embrace it, knowing to enjoy it when it comes because it will get hard again soon. I focus on all the things I like to do but often get pushed aside during hard training. The dogs go out for longer walks, I cook more, read more and get out with friends.

Work on weaknesses
When I was in high school I was really struggling with algebra. It was my lowest grade and I was frustrated. My dad told me one day that I had to work to make my weakest subject my best subject. In rock climbing, as I mentioned earlier, I struggle with overhanging routes the most. There is a big temptation to avoid them completely and instead do routes I am confident in. Sometimes I get embarrassed trying an overhanging route again and again, falling off each time, usually with an audience of a few more seasoned climbers. It is easy to work on the stuff you are good at and enjoy, it's much harder to try to make gains where you struggle. In triathlon, my weakness has always been swimming. I didn't grow up on swim teams, and didn't really learn how to swim properly until I was 18 or so. In my first professional race I was dropped by nearly the entire womens field within 400m of the start. In my last race, Puerto Rico 70.3, I came out with a big group of women pretty close to the front. That was huge for me and I owe a lot of it to Tara giving me swim focus weeks/months and the masters group kicking my butt. By swimming with pure swimmers I have learned new strokes that have made my freestyle stronger and more balanced. I've also had plenty of people to chase (and often get lapped by) to push myself to new limits.

Don't underestimate yourself
It is tempting in the gym sometimes to look at a problem and say oh no that grade is too tough for me, I won't be able to climb that. I can be guilty of this, I know I can consistently climb one grade, another grade is a good challenge, but I think higher grades are out of my reach so I won't even attempt them. It has taken some nudging from climbing buddies (Brian, Shea, Zack, John, Morgan and Josh) and then I might try a harder grade. If I complete the problem I am often surprised and I realize that I've been underestimating myself. This kind of goes back to "just go for it, don't come off the wall and learning to fall." Brian always says, "what's the worst that will happen? You try it and fall? Big deal, at least you tried it." This is part of the reason why I took my elite license. I had the opportunity to race against the big girls! Even if I came in last in the pro field, at least I was out there challenging myself to become a better athlete. I have learned a lot in the process and am grateful for each race, no matter where I place. Those moments where I surprise myself make all the hard finishes totally worth it.

Trust your partner
This lesson is probably the easiest for me, because I have such a great group of people around me. I never question that my climbing partners will catch me if I take a fall. In the same way I am confident that my coach Tara will give me the training and preparation I need to do the best I can do. I was confident last year in my doctor and PT that the surgery and rehab would get me back to 100%. I have so much faith in Brian, my family and friends that they will support me in my training or racing regardless of what place or time I come in for races.

  

There are so many different types of athletes and people around us. Get involved in something different, even if it's just a pick up soccer game. Changing up the grind a little will leave you more appreciative and refreshed so you can attack your training with new vigor. You might also learn a bit in the process as I have with climbing.

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!