8k Road Race...baby steps!

Only in TN would a state championship race take place at midnight in the midst of a hoppin' Pigeon Forge. That's my home state!! :) haha. I was encouraged to go 31:22 in the 8k (5 mile) race. It landed me 3rd behind 2 super swift pro runners...one (Sarah Brown) who finaled in the Oly Trials last year and just ran in the semi-finals in Moscow World Champs!
Starting a race at midnight definitely makes you feel like you can't get out of the twilight zone for a couple days. It's like jogging into the land of Jetlag...and getting lost ;)
Thankful for another good workout in the bank (or hay barn) & more baby steps toward fitness and also mature racing. It was also particularly fun because it was the first time I've made $$ as a profesh athlete.
Pilot Flying J sponsored the race - thanks! A few pics...

my man! xo (we sort of look like we should be asleep - haha)

dad's helpful words right before the start = "I'd like to see you negative split..."

wheelchair race w/ background of Pigeon Forge's "neon jungle" (surprisingly hoppin' at the midnight hour! ha)

First Race: Check!

It was so much fun to finally get to represent my sponsors at the Chattanooga Waterfront Race!! I am so blessed to be supported by Pilot Flying J, Provision Performance Lab, Retirement Planning Services, and HUB Endurance Multisport Shop. What a neat and unique opportunity to meet incredible people from all of these companies. Wow, I'm so thankful!!

Chattanooga Waterfront was pretty brutal, but on par with expectations. I got 8th overall, behind 3 pros and 4 amateurs. It was a duathlon because of the high water level, dangerous current, bacteria-infested TN River. Of course any race w/o a swim is a bummer, but the goal was still achieved: A really good workout.

My runway to take off into fitness land (yes, that is a real place; wink wink) is an extended one but the benefits of taking longer will give me a much better chance of being faster later, as well as healthy along the journey. I haven't done race-pace or above training, so....racing for over 2 hours was a form of torture (that I chose). Racing without being in really good shape is never fun!! But there's no way around that in order to get fit and back in the hunt.

Experience is valuable yet it takes time to gain it! During this race, I realized that I don't like my new cycling shoes I got last fall...nor my new saddle that came with my TT bike. Both sort of wooed me with "latest, greatest, favorite" type adjectives...and since many pieces of equipment need adjustment phases, I just kept thinking I'd eventually love them like many others did! Not so, but...No big dealio - trial and error is part of the job. Also I still need to figure out a good race running shoe for my feet that I can run sockless in w/o the result of my feet resembling raw hamburger meat post-race. The past 2 races, painting my feet with NewSkin hasn't done the trick. I'm sure I'll figure it out soon.

My first group ride since early March (when I had an injury flare-up) was last weekend, and boy was that fun! I love training with people and trying to keep up. It sure makes the pain fun and I love getting to know really amazing people. I'm excited to keep on adding social torture rides and runs, & getting fit and racing more!

Below are a few pics of the Chatt race...so much fun to have my hubby and parents there to cheer me on! ThankFULL!
Bethany

Warm-up ride Saturday

gettin' ready in the hotel room...

off I go into the 42K bike course...

Start of run #2...here come the hills again!

...almost there!

First race around the corner!

My first race of the season will be Chattanooga Waterfront in 2 weeks. I'm so thankful to be healthy & get the season rollin'!!
Training is progressing at a normal speed. I'll take normal after having a few months of backslide! :)
Cheers!
bethany
PS: On a side note, happy birthday to my phenomenal dad! What a courageous, hilarious, tender, tough, wise, strong (ie, wiry! ha) guy! ...not to mention swift ;)