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Challenge Florida Win and Pro Career Reflections
The 2015 season is over. It is ironic because I cannot tell you how ready I was to be finished racing. Now that I just finished Challenge Florida I am a bit sad and ready to start preparing again for another race. I guess it is true- we always want what we don't have.
Challenge Florida was my last race for the season. I included it on the schedule as it was a good chance to get to Clermont to see good friends of mine and it also gave my parents an opportunity to see me race. My dad historically is bad luck, but he really wanted to be there so I gave him the OK.
While training in Clermont the Thursday before the race I had a pretty bad bike crash. I came away with zero road rash but I hit my head pretty hard. I decided to race anyway...why not! I am the hardheaded kid so skipping the race was not an option.
Race day went exactly how I wanted it to go. I swam and rode conservatively and ran my way to the win. Even though my "social off season" pretty much started after Silverman 70.3, I was able to pull off the win - and log the fourth fastest run of all the athletes - men and women.
This year has hands-down been my best year professionally. This was my 5th full season racing and as cliché as it sounds, I truly am thankful to be where I am right now. I raced ten times this year and finished with six wins, two 2nd places, one 4th place and one DNF due to illness.
In Boulder I spend a lot of time with athletes who are in their early 20's and just getting their athletic careers started. It makes me reflect on how I got to where I am now and how many times I failed in the process. I believe that luck and opportunity along with work ethic will get you where you are in life.
I had no idea what a triathlon even was until I met a guy in a bar when I was 21 who told me about the Ironman he was training for. I immediately was intrigued by triathlon and from that night (March 17, 2009) my life changed completely. If I did not go to that bar on that night and met that guy I would have NEVER done a triathlon. It just was not where my life was heading...an athlete for a living!? Absolutely no way. My family is not athletic, I did not own a bike until I was 21 years old, and I was a sorority girl. I remember when I told my parents I was going to pass on Physician Assistant school and instead I was going to be a "professional triathlete". Mom freaked out and insisted I use the degree she just spent her savings on. I insisted she give me a few years just to see what happens. I gave the classic "well in 20 years I do not want to regret not giving triathlon a try". So, I packed up the books and...
photos from the archive!
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