St. Croix Race Report

 Lowery Hill (Photo by Justin Fabian)

My season did not start out as I would have liked, but the disaster in Australia gave me the opportunity to plan a new race schedule for 2012. It didn’t take long to decide where I wanted to go. St Croix! This was more a decision of the heart than the head. I love St. Croix; the place, the people, the laid back atmosphere of the race, not to mention my wonderful homestay couple Ed and Linda. The fact that its one of the hardest bike courses on the IM circuit could not deter me from heading once again to the US Virgin Islands. 

 Homestay Ed and I at the awards party.

A couple weeks earlier, I had come home from Oz sick, stressed and bike-less. And then I had to wait. Wait until I had a bike to ride, wait until I felt well enough to train again. Wait. Slowly but surely things started to get better, as they always do. Jasper Blake offered to lend me his Speed Concept in the same size as mine. I had some blood tests done and a long talk with my doctor and we figured a few things out. And when I was ready, Clint and I settled on a race plan, starting with 70.3 St. Croix. A couple weeks later I was packing up to go Tucson to get ready for a hot, hilly race.

On March 21^st, Rosalee and I headed south to meet my mom, sister and nephew in Arizona. Mom and Lisa helped out with babysitting while I swam, biked and ran in the sun. I was starting to feel good again.

Once in St. Croix, I felt relaxed and ready. Race week was filled with laughter and good times with friends new and old. The afternoon before the race the rain came down in buckets and the streets of St. Croix became rivers. As the rivers receded overnight, gravel and dirt covered the roads. Race morning the rain continued and it rained on and off all day.

I got in the water at 6am and started my warm up. I had a plan for the swim and was able to follow it to the letter. Last year, the swim had been a gong show. The group I was with swam all over the place and our time was slow. This year, I planned exactly how I was going to sight for each section of the course to make sure we stayed our course! As expected, Nina Kraft and Mary Beth Ellis got away and I led a small chase pack coming out of the water in 3^rd with Angela Naeth, Jenny Fletcher and Marie Danais.

Climbing the Beast (Photo by Justin Fabian)

Out of transition, Angela predictably took off and I was riding with Jenny. After a few miles it was clear that her and I were well-matched on the bike and we ended up spending the whole ride together. When I started to lose concentration, she would come past and get me going again and vice versa. We were a good duo. The course was still covered in debris from the rain and there were large puddles everywhere. Some covered the entire road and we had no choice but to ride right through. Others were more like streams. Near the end of the bike a couple girls overtook us, but they didn’t make up too much time. I came off the bike in about 5^th or 6^th.

Jen and I starting the run.

Starting the run I felt a little sluggish and wasn’t moving as well as I would have liked. Within a mile I became aware that I was making up ground on the lead male (who was a lap ahead). As I got closer I realized it was Lance. He was clearly suffering a little on his final lap and I could hear him breathing hard. As I went past I said “Come on Lance!” But I don’t think he heard me amidst all the cheering from the crown. Say what you will but that guy works hard! Part of me was thinking I should run with him for the whole lap just for the cheering and publicity. But, as I started to feel better and ready to kick my run up a notch, I slowly started to pull away.

After the first lap I had overtaken 2 girls and was running in 4^th. At the turn around I saw that I was close to Nina and was starting to feel good. I picked up the pace and finally got her just before mile 10. Angela and Mary Beth were running their own race in an entirely different time zone, so it was up to me to hold my own until the finish line. Needless to say, I was overjoyed to finish on the podium.

As always, I want to thank many special people for their contribution to my racing. Now that I have a little family, it takes a small village to support my training and travels. Let’s start with my husband Clint whose faith in me is greater than anyone I’ve known. “Aunty” Shelley who continues to be an important part of both my life and Rosalee’s. Grandma Pearl who makes my training possible in Victoria and also makes Clint’s life possible when I am not there. Jasper who generously lent me his Speed Concept and let me drag it across the world. All the people who shared their time and opinions on my bike set-up when I was seeking answers. The guys at the Trek shop who put up with my relentless phone calls and dropping by. My mom and sister who looked after Rosalee during some big training days in Tucson. Good friend and training partner Marilyn who picked me up each day for swimming in the ghetto van, and always shares her time, wisdom and vast cycling knowledge generously. Bob, whose crazy mental training techniques got me to the race feeling excited and ready. Ed and Linda who opened their home again this year in St. Croix. Angela, Jenny, Marisela, Terenzo and many others who shared all those well-needed pre-race laughs! Love you all!