I've done a magnificent job of thoroughly neglecting my blog since writing about my Edmonton WC race back in June-this I completely recognize and apologize for. This season has been an absolute whirlwind. I have raced more than I ever have in one season, even going 5 weekends in a row! The good news is that I'm ending the season healthy this year, injury-free, and 100% psyched for the 2014 season. I feel like I've exposed just the tip of the iceberg in terms of where I know I can be in the near future.
I did quite a few Multisport Canada Series Triathlons this year for the first time (Belwood, Bala Falls, Wasaga Beach, Lakeside) as part of my training blocks and building for my longer-term race plans and goals. I had a blast doing each and every one of those races, and was happy to pull off the wins and finish in the top 10 with the men at the majority of those events.
I raced my first ever official cycling race in my life back on August 31st at the Ontario Provincial Time Trial Championships in Chatham, Ontario. I raced in the Elite Women's category on my R3 road bike, as my TT bike is the non-UCI legal Specialized Shiv Pro. I wavered for a while trying to decide whether I should just race in the Sportif category, or just give it a go in the Elite category. I figured that there was no reason for me to play it safe and I had nothing to lose (except all of my pride of course), so I decided to race EM style and stay in the Elite category. I ended up coming in 4th place, so I'm quite proud of myself for not shying away from something that was scary. And the best part of that whole experience was that I got to race for the Real Deal/Gears/pb/Fieldgate Team for the first time (decked out in my skinsuit) at least once in 2013, even though my official debut on the Team was slated for 2014. That's the other big news for the 2014 season ahead....that I have been named to the Real Deal Perform Team for 2014, managed and directed by Ed Veal and Mike Mandel, respectively. I am absolutely thrilled to have this opportunity and can't wait to get to know my knew "family" even better into the future. They are an amazing group of people!
I just finished off my tri season last weekend at the Lifetime Fitness Finale/Triple Crown Championships in Oceanside, California. It was an awesome venue, and even though it was in California, it was only about 10 degrees Celsius during the race with thick fog! It took a few attempts for me to get my feet into my shoes in T2, because they were completely frozen and uncooperative. I am really happy to have finished the season with a solid race all round-swim, bike, and run, with the exception of being very frustrated with being sent in the wrong direction on the run course (uphill no less!), and losing a chunk of time on the run, and very likely a position. I finished in 12th place in an incredibly strong field of ladies. The positives that I can take away from this race are 1) that I went into the race with confidence and being excited to race after a rough patch of feeling unmotivated, exhausted, and sick in the few weeks leading up to the race that really shook my confidence, and 2) that I am walking away from that race feeling more confident than I ever have about my ability to close the gap and really "be in the mix" in the near future, and 3) that I am coming out of this season already hungry for the 2014 season, because I feel like I have so much more in me that hasn't been showcased yet!
I have more to say, and many "shout outs" and "thank yous" owing to all of my loyal supporters, but that shall await another blog post! For now, I'll spare you from reading further, and just say that I am enjoying 2 weeks off from structured training, and I will start training for 2014 as of November 4th.
As always, thank you for reading and following my journey:) Here are some pictures from the Oceanside race, courtesy of Dad.
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| Still cold and dark at the swim start. |
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