After my last post, I raced 2 more Olympic Distances before traveling to London for the World Championship. Boulder Peak - where I competed as an 'elite age grouper' - was difficult to get through because of my nagging injury. I ended up 4th in my age group (not sure what place elite).
The following month was spent taking some time off, getting weekly 30 min neuromuscular massages, chiropractic appt's and LOTS of stretching. Over 3 months, with the help of PT's, MD's and more, we have deduced that the crash in my 1/2 Iron distance in the spring threw my body out of alignment. Doing 1-leg squats with a mis-aligned body tore my adductor, which then irritated the crap out of everything around it. From mid-July through just 3 weeks ago, it's been a delicate balance of trying to maintain fitness but not injuring myself any more.
The Steamboat Springs Triathlon was exactly 1 month before Worlds. The goal for that race was to hammer the swim (which didn't bother my adductor at all), push the bike as much as I could without pissing body parts off, and take the run REALLY easy. I was able to do all of the above - even left my TT bike at home just to not be tempted to push harder than I should. The 10k run was the slowest I have EVER run that distance (54+ mins), but knowing I didn't injure myself in the process was a good feeling.
John (my boyfriend) and I flew out to London overnight Wednesday September 11th with compression tights on, sporting Hammer Nutrition apparel, Ambien in-hand. Flying direct, non-stop from Denver to London Heathrow (arriving around noon Thursday the 12th) was the best decision in our travel plans we made. My bike was even out on the conveyor belt (no damage) by the time we breezed through customs. The public transportation system was a total breeze, partially thanks to the travel pass we bought which covered all public transport in London during peak and non-peak hours. Staying with our host - and new friend Monica at her flat was so comfortable and convenient, we felt like we were 'home'. Less than 2 blocks from a major Tube stop, getting to and from the race site and Team USA activities was very easy.
The weather throughout almost the entire trip was nothing short of typical London: Rainy, chilly. Race day morning was the exception. It was just VERY cold - but sunny! It was so cold that the 1500m swim was shortened to 750m due to the 42 degree (F) air temp and low 60s Serpentine water temp. I was a bit disappointed b/c I had worked very hard on my swim this summer - partly by choice, partly by injury default - and I was ready to rock it. I still swam decently, but by the time the pack had thinned out and was losing steam (while I felt great), we were exiting the water. The transition run from swim to bike was LONG. Same for the Bike to Run. With over 2000 athletes, the transition area was so big, they had to make it "fair" for everyone, so the officials had the T set up for everyone to run the same distance no matter where your area in T was. 7 mins out of my total 2:12 race time was T. Normally, my T times together are less than 3 mins, most less than 2.
The bike course was amazing, albeit very technical as expected. The 2-loop course took us around Hyde Park, THROUGH the Wellington Arch, in front of Buckingham Palace (twice!), along the Thames River, turning around at Tower Bridge, and back. My 1:09 bike time (40k) was not bad, but I did slow down through the technical areas so as not to crash and I slowed a bit more to enjoy some of the sites - when else would I get to do that again?
The run was 3 loops around the Serpentine lake in Hyde Park. Paved trail, flat. The first loop went pretty well - I went out fairly easy, concentrating on my stride and testing out the good ol' adductor. It did pretty well at just sub-7 min pace, so the 2nd loop I put the gas on a bit more. Coming into the 3rd loop, my body rebelled against that push. With no speed behind me and minimal run training all summer, I simply couldn't hold onto the 6:30 pace I wanted to push. I backed off, concentrated on my form and enjoyed the spectacle of the site. Making the ~180 turn into the finish shoot was a bittersweet feeling. I managed to bust out a small burst of speed to push the Aussie girl in front of me (she ended up having a better kick), and we shook hands and congratulated each other on the other side of the finish line. I had just finished my first World Championship - a huge accomplishment in itself - but not at the top of my ability. I did my best under the circumstances, and was proud to represent the USA at such a humbling event.
The next few days were spent touring London (even squeezed in a 2-day excursion to Paris), eating, drinking good wine, and soaking up everything we could in the 2 cities. It was a lot to fit in 1 week, but it was all SO worth it - even if it did leave us completely exhausted.
I am eternally grateful to all my sponsors this year - I could not have made the trip or had such great success without their support. I am also happy to report that my adductor is making good progress, which will make planning next season a bit easier and more exciting.
