Any Given Sunday

It's a phrase my buddy Bex and I started saying often a few years back...

Every race can be great...

Or horrible...

Really, really fast...

Or you can't seem to find your speed at all....

On any given Sunday (since most races are on Sundays).

You never know who will show up to race against you, or what kind of day they will have...geez...you may have stellar training leading up to a race and you might have a painful day out there. 

You can do everything right...and the day unravels in front of you.

Or sometimes....

Just sometimes....

You reach really deep into your gut and pull out a great performance.

And on that given Sunday you did your best...and so did everyone else.

That's how today went.

Today was my 5th time starting the Mission Bay triathlon.  It was my very first race in 2007.  I skipped last year due to some serious overtraining and lack of motivation issues.  But this year, on less training...more fun...and some serious ultrarunning base...I came back to where it all began.  I even had my whole family there for support...and their support really means the world...it was the recipe for a great race... 

I knew immediately that the 25-29 age group women had brought their A game.  The pace on the swim was FAST...girls were pulling away from me (and I've really stepped up my swimming)...but luckily I started to reel them in as I went.  I ended up with a 1 minute PR on the swim and since I didn't wear a wetsuit I had a great T1!

I flew out on the bike and just tried to hold on to a few girls I saw in front of me.  One girl in particular was going just slightly slower...I didn't want her to think I was hanging on her wheel so I passed her and told her I was sure we would leap frog for a bit (she didn't pass me on the bike...but on the run...so we DID leapfrog-ish).  I was passed at mile 2 or 3 by the blazing fast Team CEC's Ashleigh Bordwell (who won our age group by a landslide).  I wasn't passed again until the very end but ended up catching her later.

I came into T2 knowing I had some work to do.  I had a solid bike but it wasn't a PR (at least I don't think it was since official results aren't posted yet).  I changed as fast as I possible could and headed out.

The run was hard...really hard...

And I was only putting down 7:20's (not my fastest but certainly not cruising either).  But they hurt!  Luckily I had my amazing mom there as I headed out yelling to me that I was in 6th place and to pick them off one by one (love her and her belief in my abilities).  I passed the first girl within the first mile...so now I was in 5th.  Then I was passed by the girl I had passed on the bike...she was also in a Catalyst Endurance kit (as were many of the top finishers...seeing as I used to train with them I should probably look into that again...they got some serious results!).  I couldn't hold her...so I just stayed at my pace and looked to the next girl since I was in 6th again.

I passed another girl as we went up the hill after mile 2...and I held that position till the end.  But I never had a moment where I could let up...they were always back there...fast, determined, amazing women.  I had to WORK out there.....

When I race (run specifically) I tell myself over and over that unless I'm fainting or dying I'm not allowed to slow down.  I used to put puke in there but after Oriflamme I had to take that bit out...

So that's was I was doing out there...not giving an inch...thankfully since the next girl was less then 30 seconds back from me!

After I crossed the finish line I dry heaved a bit (enough that they grabbed a garbage can for me...luckily I didn't need it!)...and then walked myself straight to the med tent to fix up a gnarly blister that had bled all over my shoes.  Shockingly I didn't REALLY feel it till I was done.

Mom was there and told me I probably got 4th or 5th (she was almost right on!).

And I was tired...

I found another friend Kaili, who had finished only a few minutes after me...I asked her immediately if she thought the field was super tough today...she agreed...the fast girls were out and we were forced to step up to the challenge.  My A game was good enough for 5th place today...and I couldn't be prouder.

Some people may only feel successful if they win...or place...but not today.

Today I raced my best (and got a 30 second PR in the process)...nothing to be ashamed of there.

Another day...another race in the books...another PR...and I'm happy.

Any given Sunday...you never know what can happen...as long as you try your best it's bound to be great...

XOXO

Jackie