St Anthony's Triathlon Report

Let me start out by saying that St. Anthony's is my favorite race. It is a mere 45  minute drive from where I live, and it is one of the most beautiful courses I have ever raced on. There is a lot of pros and a lot of hype; 29 waves of athletes from all walks of life. Everything is super organized and well-run, it almost makes me feel like a pro too.

        I arrived into transition knowing that I had still 2.5 hours until my race would start. Setting up transition has become routine, no longer something to stress over. I made my way down to the swim start and admired the amber colored sky. It was a beautiful day to race, albeit warm and humid (goodbye, spring!). I relaxed and talked to my biggest fan (my mom) for a while as the announcer set off hundreds of athletes into the Gulf. When there was 45 minutes til my start, I jogged around to loosen up. It just so happened that the pro women were on the run course, which snaked behind the beach of the swim start. I stopped to watch their impeccable and seemingly effortless form. They would definitely be finished with their race before I even started. Wonderful.

    I then jumped into the water to set my stroke before it was race time. The water was a chilly-feeling 77 degrees and quite salty. I had been spoiled with 3 freshwater swims in my previous races this spring. Finally, I heard the announcer call purple caps into the corral and then out into the water. The swim start began with all of us treading water for what felt like forever. The current began to pull us away from the start buoy, and everyone was babbling about how they need to just start the race already. I turned to the girl next to me and said "Sorry, there just isn't a polite way to tread water.". We were elbowing and kicking each other before the race even started. Then the horn went off, and I had one of my best swim starts yet. I felt confident and could tell that I was in the upper third of the pack. But then we made a big turn out into the Gulf, and the water got really rough (the swim is always rough at St. A's, and they were trying a new course this year). My body rose and fell with the waves, and I began to swallow large amounts of salt water. I really messed up once I got to the yellow turn buoy. Every time I sighted, I was further and further from the directional buoys that led to shore. I began to get frustrated, and I felt like I was punching water rather than swimming in it. I was angry when I emerged up the stairs and into transition; that swim felt like it took years to complete. Definitely not my best swim. And to put whipped cream on my sundae, I lost my bike in transition. It took me 1:47 to get out on the roads of St. Pete.

         With my adrenaline pumping hard, I took off on my bike with the intent of getting the time back that I lost on the swim. I knew I was going fast by the feel of the wind on my face. The course was crowded with all of the waves that went off before mine, and it boosted my ego that I was passing so many people. (I blame my drafting penalty on this) I passed All Children's Hospital and blew it a kiss. If only they all could see me now. My legs welcomed the flat course, and it was much easier to maintain my effort than at Clermont or Nationals. I zoomed into transition with a time of 1:11:48. BOOM!

        I found my transition area slightly faster this time, and put on my awesome new racing shoes with glee. I pranced off on the run, my legs feeling great so far. As I left transition, I heard my mom's voice as it was trailing off "Go Kacy! BE CAREFUL!" I had been dealing with the same tendonitis that haunted me after the marathon, and I wasn't sure that I would be able to finish the run without limping to the finish line. I hadn't even thought about it until my mom reminded me. I directed my attention for a quick second to my ankle: no pain. Alright, it's go time! The run was hot, as expected. My effort level was higher than Nationals, but as far as I could tell I was still holding a good pace. The spectator support was remarkable; there was seldom a spot where there wasn't anyone cheering you on. I began to sing Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer" in my head, because it was the last song I heard on the drive over. Songs always motivate me, but I have also found that focusing on my body and effort level has been a key to keeping pace on the run and bike. I collected beads from some fans around mile 5, and slung them around my neck. As I came running through the finishing shoot, some girl pulled up onto my shoulder. I sprinted away from her, and never looked back. I felt like Usain Bolt as I crossed the finish line in full stride. I didn't know it at the time, but I finished with a PR of 2:28:53.

    Because of the (assumed) drafting penalty, my official time is 2:30:53...but I don't care. Breaking 2:30 was been a goal that I've had for a while, and I finally did it. It was even more satisfying, because I was starting to feel like it wouldn't be possible. The cool thing with triathlon is that there are so many ways to lower your time...and always room for improvement. Perfect races are rare, but I can't wait till the day that I have one. Oh, and I know that I will.

       This race has certainly raised my perceived ceiling. I know I can get faster. But not right now. I need to take some time to reset my body and try and avoid injury. Here is my quote for the next few weeks:

"I've never been patient, but I've always been determined. This time I'm determined to be patient."