Race Day at Pacific Grove, CA

(My teammate Dani and I after the race)

I am officially an Olympic Distance Triathlon finisher! The four months of training with TNT (Team in Training) came in handy!  I must say, they did a fantastic job preparing us for the big race today. Together we raised about $300,000 benefiting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society!!!

The day started at 4:00 a.m. with a peanut butter sandwich breakfast, headed down to lobby to meet teammates and then rode for two miles from Monterrey to Pacific Grove to set up for transition and check in for the race!

Coach Brian marking my race number on me (did I mention it was COLD?)

I had to put on my socks  and shoes and wet suit to keep me warm!  After setting up my transition area (swim, bike, run gear) we hung around with our teammates, literally huddling in circles to keep warm and cold air from hitting us.  Yikes! The wind made it feel a little cooler than it was. We were told the water temperature was 55 degrees but even then the news didn't burn out my excitement or anticipation for the race.

 Before the first wave started we sang the National Anthem and the horn blew at 7:00 a.m.

  Our Coach Jana was a part of that first wave!  So exciting to watch!  

Elaine, Carly, Debbie, Marlene, Danie and Glen, watching waves before we started

My teammates and I got down to beach and went in to the water to warm up around 8:45 a.m.  Thankfully, the water temperature went up a few degrees about 58 :). It was still pretty cold, but it was so good to get a chance to warm up before our wave started.


Overall, I had a great experience! I truly enjoyed the swim, with kelp and all. It definitely is different swimming over slimy kelp and have it get tangled in your feet! I kept swimming despite the thick patches, and it was actually quite beautiful to observe. They looked like giant plants with white/yellow designs that were quite impressive to look at. I thought I would struggle with swim but I felt great, I didn't feel a need to rest or out of breath. I finished a little over a mile in less than an hour.

Bike Route

 Then headed to transition area and headed to the "BIKE OUT" sign which would lead me to the start of the trail for the race. Breathtaking ride. I felt great, loved hearing the ocean waves crash against rocks and beach and loved that I got to see my teammates around the loops (4 loops totaling 26 miles). Didn't feel overwhelmed and thankfully did not have a flat tire or accidents.

Marlene and Penny (Penny is on right wearing red hat and blue shirt)

The first lap of the run ( 2 miles) was a bit of a challenge, but I really enjoyed the last 4 miles. Thankfully, I ran into Penny Noble. A 69 year old triathlete in amazing shape who inspired me to run the rest of the 4 miles. She was the inspiration that helped me forget about myself and continue running without looking back. Its weird for me to say, but I felt stronger and stronger with each mile I finished and truly enjoyed the scenery, the cheers, the "GO TEAM!" cheers along the run and family smiling, hi-fiving me, and wonderful TNT team cheering me on.

Notice the great background! Route was beautiful!

How could I not finish strong! I didn't have a choice :)! I felt great, truly re-energized and excited as I passed the finish line. The MC even gave me a special shout out because he was a Washingtonian from Vancouver :). I had a very nice complimentary 10 minute massage after the finish and was able to meet with the rest of my teammates as they finished the race. 

My sister Gabby and I at In N Out

 After returning my bike to Winning Wheels to get shipped back to OR we headed to hotel and walked across the street to get a massage with mom :) a real treat and after that, a Victory Party for all of TNT athletes.  Hung out with my friends for a bit and spent the rest of the night with mom and sister and was rewarded with IN N OUT burger treat :). A great way to end the night! Conclusion of race day, I am hooked, I want to do this again!