I don't know about you...but spending a Sunday morning with a little swim, bike, run, in a location like this....not too shabby!  Joe and Sarah of Outback Events always put on a stellar race.  Not only do they put on this race (Wine Capital of Canada Olympic and Sprint Tri) but they also host the Oliver Half Iron, Desert Half (which was the Canadian Long Course Championships for many years), Cultus Lake Oly, and this year the Sylvan Lake Half.  Joe is also the race director for Ironman Canada, and has been for many years.  His wife Sarah is just one of the hardest working people I've ever seen.  Joe stands at the finish line of all the races and personally congratulates each and every finisher.  Like I say...these guys know how to do it right.  Thanks guys for letting me race with you last minute!!!!  I'm looking forward to Oliver.  Now on to the race report...

I wasn't planning on racing the WCOC Triathlon this year, as technically, I should be on the final stages of recovering from IM St. George, but as well all know...plans changed after that stripped lock nut on my cassette.  No recovery required for a race you only completed 2 hours of.   Scott wanted me to put in some intensity this weekend after a substantial week with a long run and a 7.5 hr. day on Thursday which was largely at Ironman pace.  Then with longer bike on Saturday (the day before the race) this was the first time that I was entering a race of any distance completely un-tapered (is that a word?)  My legs were aching from some of the squats and lunges I did prior to my big day on Thursday and I was rolling around on Trigger Point on Saturday night hoping I would wake up with legs that didn't feel like wood blocks.  Yes, that would be nice. 

I woke up and my legs felt all right, not great, but they weren't supposed to feel great.  The whole idea was to push through the fatigue and put out a hard effort for an hour.  At first, I had wanted to do the Olympic distance when we started looking at the race, as it's "the longer the better for this slow twitch humanoid"  but when Scott said he wanted me to do the Sprint instead so that there would be less recovery time, I wasn't going to argue.  Let's see now....one hour of red line pain while already tired....or two?  Not much to decide!!

The swim went by in the blink of an eye.  750 meters....BAM - over!  I came in somewhere around 12 minutes, but not sure exactly as the swim included my transition on the results page.  I was happy to have come out with/or very close to the other women in the race as usually I'm stuck chasing, but not today.  That was nice.  The water had been like glass and the temperature, compared to frigid St. George, was lovely!  After the 12 minutes and change of thrashing in the water, transition went smoothly and off we went.

On the bike I hopped on the bike absolutely PSYCHED that was not sick or dealing with a completely loose cassette.  Gotta love it when you don't have either of those issues coming out of the swim!   SIGH.   Interestingly, however, on the first hill I shifted incorrectly (or something) and my chain fell off and I couldn't grab it.  I nearly flipped a lid...as my whole goal was to finish this race...JUST GET TO A FINISH LINE, JANELLE!!!  If I had a mechanical in this race...I think I would have sat in a ditch and cried.  I swear to you ALL that I maintain my bike....I have it checked...this was just a silly chain falling off episode from switchng gears on a steep hill.  But jeepers....I know!!! However, I jumped off the bike...pulled the chain that was stuck between the frame and chain rings and threw it back on.  Okay, off we go.  I was then full of adrenalin and put on the gas.  I then settled for the race of the race and came in the 20 km. at a clocking (on my bike computer) of 30 minutes and a few seconds.  (Again the results page shows this as longer, but this is because it included transition.)

Then the run.  Oh geez did this ever hurt.  I just couldn't find a rhythm after that first hill coming out of transition.  So, I just suffered.  My heart rate was through the roof and I knew I had popped it and wasn't going to recover...so it was just a matter of dealing with the intense pain.  My time was disappointing for me at 19 minutes and change but I have never been a fast-twitch girl....as my 10 km. split times in a marathon are close to my singular 10 km. times.  I have zero top end - never have and I'm sure I never will.  Instead I take a similar pace (just a tad slower) and can hold it all day.  Weird - I know - but this has always been the case. 

Did I cross the finish line?  FINALLY - YES!  Let this be a new start to 2010.  Not only did I 'cross' the finish line, but I also crossed it in first place overall.  Someone told me it was a course record as well, but I haven't had that confirmed.  Not too worried about it...really and truly I was just glad to get a race in.  To start to erase the memories of China and St. George and to get this season going.  I will be racing Oliver in a few weeks (another of Joe and Sarah's gems) which will an excellent tune up in my own backyard for the big one - IM Coeur d'Alene on June 27th.  I'll be heading to Coeur d'Alene this weekend to do a ride with a buddy from the area, Sam Barnes...who has graciously offered to tour me around the course, which is apparently uber tricky!  So, stay tuned for the stories on that one coming up!

As a side note, I would like to congratulate everyone who raced this weekend at the Wine Capital of Canada Triathlon.  Scott had numerous new athletes racing their very first tri this weekend and their positive attitude was just awesome!  Besides myself, Factor 9's results were as follows: Jen A. (5th OA, 1 AG), Scott (5th OA, 1 AG), Simon (2 AG), Jason (4 AG), Matthew (2 AG), Myriam (2 AG), France (4 AG), Joy (5 AG), Liz (4 AG), Meggan (7 AG, 1 PREG), Jacquie (2 AG), Maria (3 AG).  On that note, a special congrats to  Simon Craig (noted above) a personal friend of mine, also did his very first tri this weekend, although he is no stranger to racing (having been a Cat 1 road racer for years.)  and is now officially a "triathlete" who is getting ready for the big show at the end of August.  Nice work, everybody!