It was a gorgeous morning - okay maybe a bit warm but not to bad. I warmed up with a 10 min run and the a 10 min spin. I did not bother with the trainer because it just seemed like a hassle when there was plenty of road to ride on.
There were not a ton of girls but I was the only one to register on the day of race so I was the last person out of the start - it was actually a huge comfort to know the sweeper car was right behind me. I knew my race plan but was still a little nervous about getting out there. It was also a comfort that I knew everyone running the start - the guys from Speedy Reedy and Kainoa.
I started at 9:03:30 on the dot. I tried to go easy the first 10 miles or so - which for me means keeping my heart rate under 170 bpm while I kept my cadence up around 90+. It was hard not to overdue it but I knew it would pay off later. Since it was so warm I made sure to take a sip off my aero bottle every couple of minutes - I was sweeting like crazy caught myself wishing there was an aid station with ice cold water to pour on my head.
I was kind of surprised that I was able to keep my speed but between 18 and 21mph but it just made it more fun. I stayed focused and positive the entire race. I only looked at my speed and cadence and nothing else. Just kept after it and did not give up.
With in the last 5k I saw a girl in front of me so it was the perfect motivation to pick up the pace and catch/pass her. I passed her at about 1k to go and was able to pull out a little sprint to finish strong.
In the end the other girls/women kicked my ass but saying that I think I was one of 2 that were not on a team so they should kick my ass. No matter what I am ecstatic with how I did - I accomplished all of my goals for the day and gave myself a huge confidence boost going into Vineman 70.3 next weekend.
Official time 1:18:09 for approximately 46k (28.5 miles) :)
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