Apr 19 2009
When I got to New Orleans before the race, I had no idea where to ride, what way was North, South, East or West. I convinced the wonderful Cycleops girls to let me do my pre-race session on their turbo. I got my training done without getting lost and they were able to demo the cycleops power meter (a majorly beneficial training tool!) and indoor trainers to the masses. A win/win situation!
Apr 06 2009
It’s the day after the day before. I’m feeling OK- a little stiff in the leg and bum department, but nothing that a good massage won’t sort.
New Orleans was a good solid race. A satisfying start to the season. In all honesty the field was stronger than I thought that it would be. For the first in a while I swam with a pack, I think that I actually was smiling as I left the water although that may have been from relief – my last open water swim was in November. The bike was OK, not brilliant. The first hour or so was silly with the girls all in a chain trying not to draft. I found that the best place to be was either at the front or the back, but it was so frustrating to go to the front, push the pace, and still have a line of people behind me…..it took a while to get free but I settled into my race plan and stuck to a steady wattage. I think that this was the key to my performance. When I settled into the run I felt really comfortable. I probably ran conservatively but with this being the first time out for the season and the heat, humidity and wind making it tough I erred on the side of caution. Maybe with another mile or so I would have caught Natasha (her bike leg was truly humbling), although I suspect that if I had crossed the line and was offered another 2 miles I would have declined graciously!
Now off to Tuscon to train in the heat for a few weeks.
