Not sure if it is better or worse on paper...Des Moines U23 Nationals

After Copper Creek I set out to gain a little bit of confidence back before U23 nationals by doing what I love to do. Put in hard work. There is just that amazing feeling when you know day in and out you are exhausting yourself before a rest period to gain the benefits. So my goal was to do just that because I wanted to take advantage of my home course even if I wasn't in ideal swim or bike shape yet I was going to give it my best go. On the last day of hard before the taper down I did a firecracker 5k in Earlam with the WHOLE gang racing! Everyone except my dad who had cheering duties. I was able to take it out in 4:38 and settle into a tempo pace once it was just me at the front which assured me that a few days later I would be better to roll. A great day in general boosted morale for sure as Zach helped push Mags to an almost PR without tapering or really planning for the race. So we left a happy crew and I was ready to take on some more draft legal action. The days leading up were about relaxing and trying to stay out of the sun as much as possible because for some reason it decided race week was a good time to be the hottest part of the summer.

PRE-RACE: 8 miles the day before on the bike with a few pickups, followed by 6 miles of my normal pre-race run, and lastly with an 1100 yd swim @ the Waukee YMCA. That is all she wrote except for a pre-race meeting for the Elites. Which I just about missed...I had the wrong races pre-race time and so I got to the meeting as quick as possible once Jenny gave me a call asking where I was. My punishment was being last to pick my box the next day, which I wasn't too far up on the list anyways so no harm done. The meeting wraps up quick thanks to my tardiness and off to get some food, a hot bath, and some rest before my race the next day.

RACE DAY: So the morning of the race is a bit different format than a normal race because the Elite Men are so lucky to be going at the hottest part of the day in the afternoon. I will take is as a compliment saying we can handle it best or something. (Well some could...) Anyways I am able to grab my 2 mile shakeout at my own leisure and get some coffee with Mags to calm the nerves pre-race. Once it is finally time I head to the course and begin the pre-race routine. I grab a 2 mile bike warm up and 2 mile run warm up to keep myself cool, but ready to go. Dynamics and staying in the shade before it is time for me to take my spot at the back of the line. Time to roll.

The goes goes off and I chase feet and fight to hold my line to the buoy. We make the round to the next one and I keep a rhythm which I'm finding is easier to do in these big races as you have more people surrounding you. It is kind of keep up or you're going under. Before I know it, I come out of the water in a decent position(29th). It still isn't where I want to be, but close enough to sprint up a bit. I get onto the bike in a decent position, but could not get out much faster to catch the next group. Decent position no more...Need a bit more bike guts. As well as both speed and endurance improvements, but hey that is what the next few months are for. Back to the bike. Although I missed the next group I was lucky enough to form a solid bike pack with the people that came up behind me. We eventually were able to bridge the gap to the next group and after a few laps I was hurting, but feeling stronger. Before I knew it, it was time to run.

I hit the run a little slower than usual, but got into a painful sort of groove. By this point in the race we had been cooking in the sun for quite some time and dehydration and the heat were definitely getting to me. It became more and more apparent as my normally blistering pace that would pass people didn't exist. It was a war of attrition at this point. People were fading like I was and when the dust settled on a far from good run I came up 12th place overall. Which would have felt better if the finishing field was a bit bigger. None the less, I was moving forward which is hard for an athlete to see sometimes. Incremental progress is huge in the long run. Another bonus in the race was it doubled as the U23 National champs and thanks to being in that category I took 3rd behind Eli and Tony.

Whipping around the corner on the run.

Post Race with Mom. Yep it was hot.

From here where do I go? Well my original plan was to make Des Moines my peak race and then take a break to get ready for cross country season, but in the next few weeks following the race my plans would change dramatically. So to get away for a bit and get some time to think. It was off to Colorado the next week! Thanks for reading once again, I couldn't do all these races and reach the level I am able to without the support of my family, friends, teammates, fans(if there are some out there), coaches, and sponsors. YOU ARE AWESOME!!!