Just in
time to finally publish this blog! Only a month later and just 11 days until my
next 70.3! Since I got into the Half Ironman distance, I have come back to
Buffalo Springs the most, this being the 3
rd time to race it out of
a total of nine 70.3s. This race just has a special aura to it. It is a
beautiful course, in and out of Ransom Canyon, but unendingly difficult. And
those challenges on the course is part of what makes it so awesome! That and
the Greer’s know how to make you feel at home, even at a large event. So many
people hunt for their “perfect race”, they want the flattest and easiest
course, but the challenges of triathlon are what makes this sport so special
and sought after. Challenging myself on a tough course is what I live for and
the feeling you get after completing it is euphoric and special.
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| Up the last hill to T2! |
Coming
into this race, I was more prepared than I had ever been previously (yes, a
reoccurring theme of this year thanks to Siri!) and I focused more attention
into this race than my previous times racing it. And even better, in
preparation, I spent a week in Boulder with Siri, Bek, and some of my amazing
teammates that really opened a whole new level within me (one of these days I
will finish that Boulder Trip write-up…). But training alongside pros and top
elite athletes really pumped me up about my training and my potential in the
sport. The consistency in my training this year has been a game changer for me,
which means even more fitness gains in the long run. But I also really wanted
to win after coming in second overall by just about 53 seconds the prior year. I
was ready to unleash the power!
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| So pro. |
One of
the coolest parts of this race experience was being a part of an elite athlete
panel hosted by the voice of Ironman, Mike Reilly. You don’t see an athlete
panel with a handful of age groupers for Ironman events, so it was neat to be a
part of this special event that they put together for us. Plus, Mike is just an
awesome guy! But enough about all that, let’s get to the actual race report:
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| Bonus random kitty picture because I am the Cat Whisperer. |
The race
was on Sunday, so Jeffrey and I drove up to Lubbock on Friday morning, about a
6.5-7 hour drive. We took our time getting there and even got off the beaten
path to a small town for a quiet lunch! Something we have done this year more
has been to enjoy the journey of our training and racing and it has made our
experiences so much better! We went straight to pick up our packets once we got
into town and then headed to our Airbnb from there. I had two unfortunate
things happen the two days leading up to the race…one of them being that my
package of race socks was either stolen or delivered to the wrong address. We rushed to get them
in town for the race, so it was upsetting that this happened! But thankfully I
had some to wear for the race that still matched my kit! The second one was a
little more troubling…Saturday morning we woke up to go practice ride and run,
and loading up the bikes we discovered my shifter cable for the front chain
ring looked as if a raccoon demolished it. Normally it would be okay on a flat
course, just shove it in the big ring and go, but obviously this course is NOT
FLAT! Jeff to the rescue! He shoves all the cables into the housing and wrapped
it to death with electrical tape, which surprisingly, did the trick! I tested
the shifting under high loads to make sure that it would hold up. (Spoiler
alert: It worked just fine!). Crisis averted!
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| Necessary photo with the voice of Ironman. |
Typically
the night before the race, Jeff and I will just pick up some food and eat in. I
usually want white meat chicken and a little pasta type food (not because I’m
trying to carb load, but just because I want it!). But this time, I just was
not feeling it. I wanted salad. Not a normal craving for a triathlete the night
before a race! The rest of the guys in the house were planning on going to
Texas Roadhouse, so we decided to tag along. No offense to any people, but I
usually stick to my own plan and hate going out and getting off my schedule,
but I didn’t mind it this time! And I got to actually eat rolls with cinnamon
butter at dinner, so I was a happy camper! We got home later than we normally
would like, but I got my nightly pre-race ritual done quickly and had
everything loaded and ready to go for the morning! Ready to rock and roll!
Rain
came in the night before the race, making race day much cooler, actually cooler
than the two races I had already done this year. The wind was decent, but
nothing like the day before, so that was a positive. At Buffalo Springs, you
bring your bike race morning and unloading the bikes, my disc had a flat…and
then we accidentally shoved another flat tube into the wheel…3
rd
times a charm, we had a solid tube! Another crisis averted! Down the hill we
go.
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| The OG Support Crew! |
We had
our race guru and fixer of all things with us this trip (shout out to Seth
Cooke) to make sure our transitions were locked and loaded, we had backup
toilet paper, help into our wetsuits, etc.! And not to mention our own personal
pack mule! My wave was early, so of course I felt like a whirlwind trying to
get myself together, but with a sense of calmness of it all. I was ready, I had
done the work, and all I had to do was race my best race. I got my wetsuit on,
got my good luck kiss from Jeffrey, and went to warm up in the water a bit.
Being the swimmer I am, getting in the water is a sense of calm and reassurance
for me and my strength and allows for a short reflection and celebration of all
the hard work I have done up to this point. I got out of the water and headed
to the front of my wave.
The swim
was as always here, wetsuit legal and the water race day felt much better than
the previous year! Overall the swim was relatively uneventful-smooth and solid.
Running out into the water from the beach, I pushed early to get out front. In
the first few yards, my left goggle did fill up about halfway with water, but
it sealed. I thought about adjusting the goggle once I hit my cruise speed, but
my contact lens was fine and I didn’t want to waste any time messing with it.
With only about 3 waves in front of me, the traffic in the water was not too
difficult to navigate through and I had clear water through most of the swim. Coming around the last turn buoy, I pushed just a little harder towards the finish, wanting to be first out of the water, and I was! Seth was there to strip the wetsuit and out of
the water and off on the bike I go!
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| Shout out to Scott Flathouse for this awesome photo! |
I wasn’t sure how far back the second female
would be so I wanted to get going right from the start on the bike…which is
slightly difficult being that in the first mile you have two huge climbs out of
the canyon! Once we got settled out on the main roads of the course, it became obvious pretty quick that the wind would play a factor in my bike split. I used to struggle much more in the wind, but with all the work I have been doing, it didn't phase me as much as it would have previously but I still had to push hard through the headwinds. I always enjoy going up and down the challenging, yet beautiful switchbacks on the back end of the course, but some of those roads are just straight crap with people launching bottles and equipment everywhere, myself included. Thank goodness the last stretch is on smooth road because I was cursing each bump by the end of the rough road!
Coming
into transition, I wanted to continue to make gains and get out of T2 quickly,
and in the process nearly ran out from my spot with my helmet still on and hat
in hand…whoops! Shout out to the volunteer for telling me my helmet was still
on while I was still close to my bike! Helmet on the bars and here we go again!
I hear Mike Reilly call my name as the first female as I leave the transition
and finish line area and make my way out to the course.
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| Down the big hill into the final stretch! |
I have been running without looking at pace,
so I just took off at a quick, yet relatively comfortable pace (comfortably
uncomfortable). We were lucky to have such great temperatures for the race, so
I didn’t feel the need to drench myself at every aid station out on the run
course! I ran with a purpose. I wanted to win, so I ran to win. The big hill at
the backside of the course was difficult, as is expected, but I forgot about
the little kicker hills on the last out and back finger of each loop and those
seemed almost more difficult than the large hill! In that section was the first
time I saw the second place female on the run course and she was about 8
minutes back. I knew she would have to run crazy times to even catch up, but I
wanted to push that gap even further. I pushed myself even more on the last lap
but in the last 2 miles my right leg was giving me a little hell and tightening
up, making my stride awkward, so I just kept a strong, steady pace. In the last
½-1 mile, my emotional side hit me knowing I would take the overall female win
with a big time gap. I had pushed my body on the hard course and I was ecstatic
to be able to cross that line with banner in hand. I fought back tears and
excitement (nearly causing an asthma attack in the process!) and ran up the
finisher’s chute with whatever I had left! The finish line of Buffalo Springs
is so great. They truly make it feel like a world-class event with the chute
lined with flags and spectators and Mike Reilly announcing made it all feel so
professional.
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| No words. Just emotions! |
After crossing the line, I hung
around the finish with fellow competitors and friends as I waited for Jeffrey
to finish and knowing he had a strong day after so many setbacks early in the
season. One of the greatest things about triathlon is the atmosphere across the
finish line. Athletes don’t care who beat who in that moment (or at least they
don’t show it), they congratulate each other like they’ve been friends for
years and are genuinely excited for your accomplishment of the day. Getting to
hang around with other athletes in this moment is so wonderful and even if you
had a bad day, it’s hard to be upset when you’re around so many people telling
you how great your day was!
I got to spend the rest of the day and
evening with my love and friends at a great awards ceremony and some drinks
afterwards! I was one happy woman to be able to spend a day with great people
while also doing something I love. Huge thanks to all those who make these
moments possible!!
Next up! Boulder 70.3 on August 5th!
Be sure to follow me on Instagram to follow my day to day journey! @raceolson
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