Boulder 70.3 Race Report

   In the the weeks leading up to Boulder 70.3 I was a bit nervous and anxious to see how it would go. My last race had gone pretty badly and although i was feeling as if my fitness was solid there was still a low confidence factor I was working through so I needed this race to get my head back in the game.
     Jake and I started the drive to Boulder Thursday morning bright and early (to race on Saturday) so we could get settled in, in time enough to get some good sleep that night. The weather was crappy all day cold and rainy with the biggest storm hitting just as we arrived in Boulder. Not ideal weather conditions for this girl because cold is not my thing! I was incessantly checking the weather report for Saturday, which was predicting a rainy race day, when I noticed an update about the reservoir. It said the bacteria levels were high due to the heavy rains therefore the swim might be cancelled. That would be a first for me but no biggie.
  Fast forward to race morning. I woke up and the forecast had completely turned around :)Bacteria levels were fine, it was a beautiful morning and the water temp was 69! Perfect racing weather. Boulder is the mecca for pro triathletes and the transition area solidified the competition would be tough. I began checking my bike to make sure everything was good to go when I noticed my front wheel rubbing against something maybe the fork of my bike. With only 20 minutes left in transition I promptly headed over to the bike tech who checked and said there was only about a millimeter clearance on each side for my wheels to fit in the fork. He straightened it out and I was on my way.
   After a quick warm up in the Res, it was go time. The gun went off and I could see one pack of girls take off. Before I knew it it was just me and one other gal swimming side by side. We eventually caught up to one other but mostly swam the very clear cut course by ourselves.  Not an ideal position to be in but I figured "just roll with it, the day is not over". I came out of the water 14th not too great.

Rockin the Blue Seventy Helix

  My transition was actually pretty smooth and I headed out on the bike but as soon as I began I heard that rubbing noise again. It never stopped the whole bike. Kind of annoying, but nothing I could do. Uli Bromme passed me right off the bat and I tried to hang with her but could only do so for about the first 6 miles. As she pedaled off into the distance I came up on three girls legally spaced.  At this point I made the decision to take a chance and pass all three right away rather than wait.  After that there was some legal yo yoing going on but I pretty much remained in the same spot until about mile
40 when I got passed by two of the gals I passed and one new gal.  I felt a bit defeated but kept them in sight and kept pushing.  As I headed into T2 I was feeling alright and ready to run.

My  Reynolds Wheels are fun and fast 

 I racked my bike and proceeded to get through T2 as fast as I could when I realized I forgot my socks!! Not ideal considering I don't ever do this and don't have the proper shoes for it. But whatevs 

no time to worry about it. As I made it out to the run I heard Jake scream "you're in 12th." My first thoughts on mile one of the run was " this might have to be a bit conservative." It was somewhat of a trail dirt path and immediately I was getting dirt and grime all up in my shoes. That mixed with the water I kept dumping on my head was just breeding for blisters to form. I told myself there's nothing I could do and to get it out of my mind. After the first mile I passed one of the women, I refused to look at my watch because I knew that my pace would just breed negative thoughts so instead I just kept the focus on passing girls, when I passed another. It was a double  out and back course so it was
easy to see how far up ahead the others were.  Right before the first turn around I noticed a girl within my reach so I focused my energy on her. As we headed back to the turn around I saw another girl sort of shuffling and thought OK so I have now passed 3 if I was in 12th then I was now in 9th. Shortly
after the turn around I passed the girl I had seen at the out and back and thought " does this mean I am in 8th? " That would be great because it would be a podium spot. I didn't have to entertain this thought long because shortly after I saw Jake and he told me 7th and 8th were about 3 and a half minutes up and I had six miles to go. I put my head down and plugged away but couldn't put any time on the girls up ahead. I ended up in 9th a solid day for me which leaves me a bit hungrier for races to come.

Katy no socks over here 

  Boulder 70.3 is a great race the atmoshpere and course is epic. I want to thank Sarah for our lovely stay right in downtown Boulder! what a relaxing place and so convenient. Thank you for opening youre home to Jake and I!!! I also would like to thank all f my sponsors with the Wattie Ink Team, Braveheart Coacing Salt Lake, OFS, The Healing Willow, Elete, Canyon Bicycles and Porcupine Pub and Grill. Thank you friends and family and of course Jake the man behind the scenes!!