Mission Accomplished....really

Cancun Ironman 70.3.....done. (To see my results and photos, enter 130 in the line that says Buscar numero de competidor)

6 hours 38 minutes, a full 20 minutes better than Florida Ironman 70.3. I finished 454 out of a total 773 competitors, 75 out of 138 women, and 8 out of the 22 women in my age group.

Per the usual, I was not pleased with my swim. The day before the race, the water was like glass and as I took my practice swim I anticipated a fast performance the next day. The sea adds such buoyancy, it is like being in a wetsuit. Overnight we got a thunderstorm which created a pretty good breeze on game day and lots of chop. When the pros took off, I noticed one of the guys doing the breast stroke on the way out. I would soon learn why. Many people did not make it to the first buoy. I did, only to turn and go up and down with each swell for the next 1.2 miles. I was concerned that I would be seasick or at least stricken with vertigo when I exited. It took me 51 minutes, a personal worst but it taught me that I am a strong swimmer under the worst conditions and I have potential to be so much faster.

I was swum over by Michellie Jones, the Australian Olympian and a premiere triathlete professional who eventually took the women's crown in Cancun. As I was making my first lap in the swim she swam over me to exit. Usually I get irritated when swum over but instead, seeing that it was a woman, I pushed her forward. Hey Michellie, I gave you two seconds.

I had a spectacular bike, fastest of the year. I finished the bike in 3 hours and 9 minutes. The bike was flat and unshaded. It sucked fluid and salt from my body in the 100 plus degree heat. There was a change in the course that forced us to loop one section 3 times. On the return in each loop there was a fierce head wind that even cut down the pros. Through sheer will to complete it I sturggled to keep my bike between 16-18 mph. The bike portion was the only time in my career when I actually got to ride with the pros--my second Michellie Jones spotting and a peloton of men all drafting off one another. The rules were loosely enforced which meant when the pentolon passed it was safest to stop pedaling as the pack cut over within inches of my front wheel.

The run was unspectacular although better then Florida. I appreciated the aid stations every 1km, they were a life saver in the grueling heat--"hielo, agua" I would shout. As I began to feel quite ill, a guy from CA that I had met offered me a salt tablet. I had never taken one before but I accepted his offer. Instantly the nausea and headache I was battling subsided. I am certain that I would not have finished for another 30 minutes or so without his aid. Note to self, in the heat, I need salt tablets.

All things considered, this was a great race. I met a lot of athletes from all over the world which provided a mental challenge of speaking Spanish in my very exhausted state. I struggled with the dichotomy of riding among the very modest homes of the poorest of the poor in Mexico--many of the bicycles in my company were worth more then these folks will probably earn in 10 years. Still, there they were, children and parents alike, standing on the side of the road cheering us all on. I love Mexico and its people and it was an honor to be there.

As for now, I struggle to put together an off-season when what I really want to do is continue to train at this pace. In addition, I am dealing with the anticlimatic feeling of pouring so much energy into an event which is now an accomplishment. 10 months to Lake Placid, but it seems so far away.