Halfmax Nationals

So I'm suuuuper behind on the race report updates. I'll start with Halfmax...

I flew out to Vegas with my very best Team USA buddies Justin and Jill. We stayed off the strip on Lake Mead at the most quality hotel imaginable... The Hacienda. Like I said, quality.

Friday morning was spent at the 24 hour buffet, mmmmm. Our waiter told us he had to go and made sure we were taken care, then on our way out we spotted him at the slots, ha! We took a dip in Lake Mead (freezing!) and somehow managed to put Jill's fully dismantled bike back together!!

Saturday was the race and my morning didn't start out so well! I was setting up transition when I noticed I had a flat (Justin snapped a picture of me just as I noticed it, my expression is classic!). Justin saved the day by taking my wheel to the mechanics for a quick switch so I didn't have to use my only spare. Once I got my wheel back I began the 20 minute process of getting in the wetsuit.

SWIM - The swim was super fun! It was a wave start with all females going together. I got a great position near the front and hung on for dear life! The water was calm and clear, I actually enjoyed it! Maybe a little too much because I came out a few minutes off pace :(

I decided to make up the time in transition so I ran hard to my bike... That's when I noticed they didn't close transition down and the late wavers were still tooling around with their bikes! One guy (who hadn't even started the race!!) was messing with his wetsuit IN TRANSITION as the race is going on, turned around and ran into me! He kicked my foot and broke my toe!! What the hell... Put your wetsuit on outside of the freaking transition area! So much for making up lost time.

BIKE - The bike course was beautiful!! Constant rollers, great scenery, fast descents... it was awesome! I felt like I rode fairly well, not too hard but tried to push it. The last 10 miles were killer!! They were in a drainage ditch (weird, I know!) that was a constant climb.

The last mile into transition was really steep. I had dropped my average enough and didn't want to lose much more time, so I stood up and started to climb hard. I noticed a friend ahead who I wanted to pass before the top. I rode up beside her, wished her luck, and kept on going... when my tire burst! It exploded a half mile from T2, doodie!! I was so close! I pulled over and started to change my flat, when spectators at the top started yelling "Just run it in, you're almost there!!" By the time I would've gotten my wheel changed I could be in transition, so I said to hell with it, took my shoes off, and ran up the hill to transition!

RUN - Mistake number... I don't know I've lost count: I didn't split my watch for the out and back run course. I'm a sort of smart girl so I though I could remember my time when I left T2 and figure my paces from there. But I was wrong. I was running along feeling great and surprised by how easy it was to stay on pace, it was effortless. I came across the finish line at 5:35 which felt pretty good! And best of all I had beat my goal time of a 1:40 run. Well, then reality hit as I checked the results. I ran a 1:49, somewhere I miscalculated and gave myself 10 extra minutes, doodie (again!).

Overall, I won my AG (woohoo) and was 8th female (I think?). A bit disappointed that I didn't push harder on the run, but I got over it quickly when we all started making plans to hit the strip that night!

And best of all I secured my Team USA slot for 2009 Long Course Worlds in Perth, Australia!!

Jilly Bean had a phenomenal race. She hadn't training for 2 months (seriously!!)and still managed to finish strong!! I would still be out on that damned bike course if I were in her position... rock on Jilly! Keep your fingers crossed, she finds out tomorrow if she got a Worlds slot.

That night we managed to make it to the strip, eat pizza and cookies, play a few slots, and drive back to the Hacienda... I was pooped! The next morning started super early with a trip back into town to drop Jill off at the airport :-(, then we did a morning swim in Lake Mead (sans wetsuit) and visited the Hoover Dam... coolest sight ever!!

Awesome trip, beautiful race, and great company!! Up next, Clearwater! I think for that race I'll use my Garmin :-) Train on homies.