Ending up with a win!

This fall, my race finishes have been thus: 3rd, 4th, 4th, 2nd, 2nd and, finally, 1st. While it has been rewarding to race consistently well, I have to admit that there is a certain satisfaction in ending the season with a win the the ITU San Francisco Pan American Cup.

Leading into the race, I was a bit nervous about my fitness (I haven't had a good training block since, gulp, August!) and knew, having done this race before, that the conditions would be rough. With countless potholes on the bike course, freezing cold bay water and typically cool, drizzly weather, I knew that the race would prove to be challenging. I have to admit that I had a mental countdown of minutes until the conclusion of my season, starting one hour before the race! (Swim done? 20 min closer. Two laps left of the bike? Less than an hour to go! And so on...). After a strong swim and less than stellar bike, I pulled together my race with a solid run, putting a minute into Julie, the second place finisher. Needless to say, there was no post-race cool down! My finish also put me into 2nd place overall in the Haul to the Great Wall series behind Julie Ertel, leapfrogging me over Sarah Haskins in the rankings. While racing at Treasure Island was a last-minute decision, it was a decision that proved to be worthwhile!