I had been looking forward to the Sarasota Draft Legal Sprint World Qualifier all season! Last weekend, my bike and I made it to Sarasota after 4 hours of travel and an HOUR of the airline and myself running around panicking that my bike was lost forever. Thankfully the airline found my GIANT bike box and everything was ok. Not the start I was hoping for when arriving in Sarasota but I wasn’t going to let that ruin my positive vibes for the race.
High Water and Deep Breaths
The next day, we all found out that the water had high levels of algae and the swim would be cancelled. The race turned into a 2.5k run/18k bike/5k run. Telling a former collegiate swimmer that the swim portion of a triathlon is cancelled isn’t the best news to hear. I consider myself part fish and LOVE the swim leg. My season long game plan for the race changed overnight. I originally was going to use my strength in the swim to get out in the front pack, draft with the lead and give it all I had on the run. Now I had the fear of not being able to get into the front pack and the uncertainty of my running abilities against the other competitors. I took a deep breath, thought about all my success I’ve had in running this past year and knew I would be ok. I changed my way of thinking and realized this could be a fun learning experience! I’ve never drafted in a race and I’ve never competed in a duathlon. Fear turned to excitement!
Remember to Have fun and Stay Focused
When race morning arrived, I felt good and kept it positive! The first 2.5k felt AMAZING! I wasn’t in the top group of girls but led the second group. I then jumped on the bike and was able to stay in a pack of 5 girls the entire bike leg, learning that communication is key! Drafting takes so much focus that the bike was over before I knew it. Came into T2 10th overall and still felt strong. The 5k was awesome and brutal all at the same time! The temperature climbed to 85 degrees with the humidity right at 90% and headwind galore. This added to the challenge of the day but dug deep passed 6 girls on the first mile and held on for dear life. The beautiful blue ITU style carpet never looked so good at the finish line!
“Don’t let fear decide your future.”
Keep a Positive Mindset. Success is Right Around the Corner
Even with an airport panic attack, a swim cancellation, fearing my first draft legal duathlon, and dealing with the heat/ humidity, I remained positive and ended with a very successful finish! I’m happy to report that I WON my age group and placed 3rd overall female amateurs. I will race in Australia for the World Championships September 2018!
-From Coach Morgan Davis
