The cannon, err I mean air horn, started the women’s pro race as the calm waters of the Russian River turned a bit choppy with legs kicking and arms flailing until the rhythmic motions of swimmers found their groove. “If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands.” Yes I I repeated the lyrics as I found my groove to “effortlessly” glide through the water. Supposedly I’ve been over thinking the tactics of the swim during the race, so the plan was to put my head down, check out and just do what I train to do…that thing called swimming. I know how to swim, it might not be the most efficient method, but darn it I know how to swim. So off I went kicking lightly and pulling hard singing loudly (in my head that is, I’m not talented enough to sing out loud in water). Well it worked from my perspective, hot diggity dog I wasn’t the last one out of the water! I really wanted to stand in transition a minute and bask in the moment of my bike having company.
Off on the bike I went…I thought maybe I should stop at a winery or two to celebrate my swim success, ha. Well after being passed by 2 on the ride I decided I better continue on and fast! The rollers got the best of me after biking many flat bike courses this year. I was having a hard time finding my groove but I kept pushing past the vineyards, wondering where the wine stop was located. I found a little speed on the run and managed to pass a few to better my finish by a couple places. I crossed the finish line not sure of my splits, my time, my power…I only knew I finished, worked hard, found joy in competing and had great friends cheering me on all day long!
I’ve learned the hard way that our expectations to an outcome can not be controlled. You can do the prep work but race day is race day and anything can happen. I approached the day with a very detailed race plan, to have fun. Yeah I know you probably don’t believe me, but it truly was to have fun. There was no specific power plan and no specific heart rate plan per say. I didn’t even look at my watch but a couple of times, for real. I went by feel, yep by feel. Many of my races this season have had very detailed plans, Vineman however was about having fun and doing what I do. Keep in mind the following…“When you are happy you can compete at your peak performance.” There were highs and lows as always throughout the day, but I managed to control the lows a bit better than previous races this year. When my brain started to check out I started singing…If your happy and you know it clap your hands! Did you just clap your hands? I hope you did, ha!
I was given some advice leading into Vineman. “Nickie, you have evolved to a point where people believe in you. You need to believe in yourself and have the confidence that you are a pro!” I swam, biked and ran with confidence…I owe that to you and myself. I stood in the pro transition area, humbled to read the names and have the opportunity to compete with the best of the best! I continue to find happiness and joy in my venture as a professional triathlete. I fully intend to continue putting in the hard work to climb my way up to the podium I dream of.
San Francisco to Sonoma was a week full of taper and race fun shared with great friends. A true highlight of the trip was the contagious energy exuded by Kate as she finished her 1st 70.3! Her excitement was a refreshing reminder to the joy so many of us experience together through our sport.
