So off to the race start with Thomas. I was so lucky to have the Baums with me in Regensburg. With Glen having to stay home in New Zealand and work there was no way i would of been able to do this race with out them. I am forever grateful for my second family :) Cant wait for them to come to New Zealand in February to show them around. Once i got to transition one and sorted my bike etc i was actually starting to feel more relaxed and not so worried about how exhausted i was feeling. I did a warm up swim and was ready to go. The venue was spectacular and there were lots of spectators to cheer us on. I found the swim start a little crazy with a few groups starting at the same time and all trying to bash their way to the front. I lost contact with the people i was trying to swim with but wasn't too worried. I was out of the water in 4th or 5th place and on to the bike - my favourite part of the race.
The bike course suited me, there was a little wind and many hills. It was my first time racing with heart rate and a power meter so i was a little nervous about that as i knew if i stuck to the plan i would most likely be biking easier than i usually would. I made a decision to do this though as because of my challenging preparation for this race and lack of fitness it was a good chance to test everything out, get some good data and try and enjoy the race :) I made my way up to 3rd position on the bike fairly easy, but noticed my power numbers creeping up a little high. It was tough to stay on plan with many hills in the first section of the race. It became even more mentally tough when girls i had rode up to then rode away from me. Their pace wasn't too hard but i was trying so hard not to get wrapped up in usual race mode. There was also the standard of guys passing and drafting causing me to slow down so that i was still riding legally. All this caused me to slip back to 6th on the bike. But i REALLY enjoyed the bike. I never felt exhausted, i never had that feeling of wishing it to end and i barely got up off my seat on any of the hills. Its the first time i have gotten off the bike with a very fresh feeling in the legs. Sure i rode slower than i would of liked and than i am probably capable of at the moment, but using these new racing tools is all new to me and i was happy to go with the flow. I also ABSOLUTELY loved my new Profile Design hydration system. It was so easy to drink from and i reckon i took in more fluids because of the ease factor. Also great position for my bike computer and a few snacks :) Perfect.
On to the run i was pretty excited. The legs felt great, and my sore knee from earlier in the week wasn't a problem. The run course although mostly flat wasn't that fast. It had so many twists and turns and many different surfaces to run on including a couple of km's of cobblestone on each of the 4 laps which in fact you ended up on a 5th time to the finish. It was the best bit though with the crowds that helped push you on. The first lap i felt great and thought i was going to end up with a pretty good marathon time - this being one of the goals of biking slower. By 15km though i was absolutely cooking. It was so hot and there was barely any shade. It was so frustrating as the lungs felt fine and so did the legs but i was melting. I had to then walk through each aid station grabbing as much fluid as i could to survive to the next one 2km a way. It was crazy how dehydrated i was feeling but maybe with everything that had gone on race week i was already dehydrated before i started the race. I have never pee'd so much in my life though. Think i must of gone about 20 times on the run. The other highlight on the run was seeing my wee Anja out on the run course. She was so happy and looked like she was having the best time. A huge sigh of relief knowing she was ok and that i was going to make the finish line.
Finally i reached the finish line in 10.09 something. Not my best time but no where near my worst either. To be honest i didn't even look up at the clock as i finished and was so happy after finishing regardless of time or place. To reach the finish after seriously debating if i could start was an awesome feeling. I hope i have inspired others to reach their goals and know that anything is possible when you set your mind to it.
After the race was over there was the usual drug testing scenario which i thought would be a breeze considering how many times i had already needed to pee! But way over 2 awkward hours later and a lot of forced drinking i finally managed the 90mls required to hand over!
Super excited to get back in to training when i head back to New Zealand next week. But for now a relaxing week with Anja and the Baums in my second home Germany :)
MASSIVE CONGRATS to Julia, Erika and Silvia for the podium :)
HUGE thanks to Sonja and Thomas Tajsich and their crew at Challenge Regensburg for putting on an amazing race that i hope to return to.
To all my sponsors and especially NEW WORLD CENTRE CITY (DUNEDIN) for making it possible to race. I am always so grateful for being able to continue competing in the sport i love.
Bevan - thanks for showing me a new way to race, and i hope my numbers didn't go too much higher than they were meant to :) haha
Cheers Tams
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