On a jet plane flying home from a wonderful stay in beautiful Puerto Rico. It’s no joke when they use the #raceinparadise. Thank you Puerto Rico for a most welcoming stay, you have fans that yell so loud I couldn't hear my own foot steps on the pavement! Thank you Xavi, you were a true gentleman picking us up at the airport and giving me the quick highlights of your home course! Heric, fancy seeing you in your homeland, thank you for the cheers and capturing the day! So many Latin American highlights from this trip…mofongo, plantains, coconut water straight from the coconut, beautiful beaches with stunning sunrises & sunsets, historical architecture and a few failed Spanish lessons. Oh I almost forgot about my pre-race Puerto Rican style Denny’s breakfast for dinner, yep what happened to Nickie you are wondering. Andrew twisted my arm, I thought it was going to be my good luck dinner. I’ll have to keep looking for that magic pre-race meal, kinda leaning towards a pint of ice cream with a side of pop tarts & fresh plantains perhaps!
March 20th 6:55am: The countdown begins in the calm lagoon waters…ready-set-go….lots of splashing and kicking heading out to the first buoy and so goes my heart rate straight through the blue skies of Puerto Rico. Finding my way in the water is always a struggle, I’m a bit of a late bloomer when it comes to swimming. My workouts have been faster than ever in the pool, I was ready to stay with a pack today, well so I thought. I lost feet pretty quick and felt myself drifting back, wishing there was a manatee that would take me for a ride to the front, ok maybe I would need a dolphin instead..that would be faster. Out of the water down from the lead by 10min. To myself…ok Nickie not so bad given you had an awful swim, you are ready for this bike. Minimize your loses, bike fast and go even faster on the run, you'll be able to reel them in. Well it didn’t quite shake out this way. As the race went on it just kept unravelling and so did my body and my psyche. I talked to myself, yelled at myself, thought of all of you cheering….nothing seemed to help energize my legs or wake up my brain. Maybe I needed to run over an iguana to wake up? The course was beautiful, the day was hot, the competition was fierce, but alas the day didn’t shake out as training was dictating during the previous weeks. We can't feel good every day of the week, but man when it hits you on race day, No Bueno!
“It’s all good. All of it…the hard parts (bad races, separation, good and bad memories mingled) they all share equally in making us, well us. What we do with them makes us…”
So as I sort through the season opener I keep re-reading the above thought and thinking what will I do with this race day experience, how will it make me better? Well for starts I went for a long run adventure through the streets of San Juan the day after, full of joy and a smile photographing the fun. And the next day I went for a swim in the waters that swallowed me up on race day and unbeknownst to me almost swam into two manatees, so I was later told from my sherpa on the beach! And the sherpa I speak of on the beach is one of the best, thanks Susie for being Andrew's super fan and my tried and true sherpa! Please let me know if anyone tries to hire you! I savored a couple of adult beverages with friends, and enjoyed the opportunity triathlon affords..travel, adventure and forging new friendships. So I suppose I’ve answered part of my question, I’m back to work ready to work harder, ready to toe the next start line and ready to race with joy. These hard days will make the soon to be good ones so much sweeter. It was a heck of a journey to get where I am racing as a professional, so why would I expect it to get easier. When we have a new job it takes a while to figure it out, I suppose I’m still figuring it out…I WILL figure it out.
The hotel room door stayed open each night, I would drift off and wake up to the waves crashing on the rocks. I felt as though a big wave crashed down on me race day, but alas those waves are a beautiful force & a powerful sound. I know the waves will keep crashing, I'll keep listening and learn how to surf the big ones and swim through the little ones. A nice reminder to take a step back and understand this is just one small part of the journey. I'm thankful for my health, humbled by these great opportunities and inspired by your support and cheers!
Thank you for all those that have invested in me whether it be financially or emotionally, for without you I wouldn’t be able to have this wonderful job that really was once just a dream.
“Dream of the top step and make it real.”