The Cherry on Top

Stepping up to the 70.3 distance fresh off my latest injury earlier this year, I faced many unknowns. How would I fare against the best triathletes in the world at a completely new distance? Would I be able to get through the year injury free? And most importantly: Would I accomplish enough to justify continuing to pursue a professional triathlon career after two years of injury and disappointment?

My podium finish at IRONMAN 70.3 Memphis in early October, as well as other solid results earlier in the season, answered most of these questions loud and clear. Thus, going into IRONMAN 70.3 Indian Wells on December 5, I had very little left to prove to myself (or anyone else, for that matter). 

Before 2021, my racing resume featured a whopping six ITU starts. This year alone, I started six races before Indian Wells - something I never would have thought possible coming off two years of injury. I had never raced this much or this late in the season, and after a season that had already exceeded my expectations in many ways, I would have been proud of myself regardless of the result at Indian Wells. I didn't need another good result to prove that I'm competitive in long course racing or that I belong in this sport. However, after receiving a drafting penalty at IRONMAN 70.3 Oceanside at the end of October - as well as coming down with a cold two days before the race - I really wanted to put myself out there again in a strong field and lay down a performance I know I'm capable of. Additionally, I hoped to replace my Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO) score from Memphis with a higher score and thereby increase my world ranking before the end of the year (the world ranking is based on the average number of points earned by an athlete at their three best races, i.e. the average of their three highest scores).

Racing this late in the season was a bit of an experiment in itself. I was feeling good physically, training was going well, and all the data indicated that I was very fit - but mentally I was riding a thin line between feeling motivated to train and race and feeling like I needed a break. This feeling was only heightened when Garen and I made the trip home to the Pacific Northwest from New Hampshire in mid November, as I was exhausted from the moving process, plus being at home made me feel as though I should be on off season (typically we only make the trek back home after race season is finished). It was an odd state of mind to be in - very ready for a break after a long and challenging year, but also excited for another racing opportunity knowing I was very physically fit.

I'm grateful that I was able to spend the entire week leading up to the race in Palm Desert, out of the Portland rain, acclimating to the 85-90F dry heat and previewing most of the bike course. This certainly helped flip my brain into race mode. I also had great company in the form of Garen's entire family (his dad, Erik, was also racing) as well as two British pros, Elliot Smales and James Scott-Farrington, which helped fend off the pre-race nerves and kept me from taking myself too seriously. As a result, I went into the race feeling fairly relaxed from a fun week. However, despite feeling like I had essentially nothing left to prove this year, I still had high expectations for myself (as always) - and the lead-up to this race had gone quite well, which eliminated any excuses for a subpar performance. So I felt some internal pressure to meet my own expectations on race day.

Going into the race, I knew the last podium spot would be wide open. However, with a very strong field including some accomplished short course ladies stepping up to bat at 70.3, there were a lot of wildcards. I figured I would need to distance myself from a large swim pack on the bike and then hold on, fending off some incredible runners.

Partly due to the ITU contingent, this was the strongest field of swimmers I've been a part of all year in a 70.3. I swam toward the front of a group of five and came out of the water in 4th place, on the feet of Dominika Jamnicky, a top Canadian short course athlete.

On the bike, Line Thams and I were able to form a gap on the pack within the first few miles and continued to extend it, eventually moving into 1st and 2nd position. This was my first time racing on a pancake flat bike course and while I enjoyed locking into a consistent rhythm, there was no room to let the foot off the gas pedal. The race track portion at mile 35-40 came at the perfect time for a mental reprieve from straight, flat country roads that all looked the same (as well as a consistent head/crosswind) and refocus for the last third of the bike. At that point, I knew Danielle Lewis was coming in hot from behind. She passed me with about 5 miles to go, which was actually helpful as this gave me a target to keep in sight as we rolled into T2. I came off the bike in 3rd place, with the 3rd fastest bike split in a field of 21 women.

Heading out onto the run, my legs felt sluggish; oftentimes flat bike courses drain your legs because they are relentless (no opportunities to coast, and no opportunities to leave aero position aside from corners), and this could have been the culprit here. I never felt great, but the rolling hills of the golf course helped break up the monotony and I found myself in 2nd place by mile 3, trailing only Danielle. When the 80F heat kicked up on the second half, it began to feel like survival (in particular, the 200 meter sand portion felt more like quicksand) and I wasn't sure if I'd be able to hang onto a podium spot. It was inevitable that the amazing Tamara Jewett - the best runner in the history of female 70.3 racing - would catch me, and she did; but as the miles dragged on, I realized no one else was within striking distance besides Dominika. In the end, I managed to hold onto 3rd!

It's not often that a race result exceeds my expectations, but this one did. And unlike Memphis - where I was roughly 20 minutes ahead of 4th place - this podium feels real because it came down to the wire. I'm proud of a podium performance in a legit field and very excited to have snagged an early qualifying spot for the 2022 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships in St. George, Utah. This was really the cherry on top of an already successful season.

Some might look at my results this year and think I came out of nowhere, but the truth is I've been here all along - just plugging away, doing everything I could to improve as an athlete the past two years while I was injured.

People often ask why I made the switch to long course. Several factors contributed to this decision - including a need for financial stability and the fact that both my physiology and personality are better suited to the demands of non-draft racing - but the impetus was actually my injuries. I saw a huge jump in my swimming ability - and in particular, my cycling ability - during the long stretches when I was unable to run. Since long course events heavily favor strong cyclists, I believed that I could use the bike leg to my advantage to put time into my competitors - as opposed to short course racing, where it is difficult to break away on the bike due to drafting dynamics. In the typical ITU race scenario where large packs come off the bike together, I simply would not have the running ability to compete at the highest level until I put my injuries far in the past. However, my cycling ability would allow me to compete at the highest level in long course racing right now.

In this way, the true silver lining of all my injury setbacks was the ability to focus on swimming and biking and move these disciplines to a world-class level. I can only hope that my running will begin to follow suit once I am farther removed from these injuries and have a bit more consistency in my run training (though I'm proud of what I was able to accomplish this year off an average of less than 15 miles per week!).

It also might surprise some people to know that - despite all the success I saw - I'm somewhat disappointed in these results and feel that I underperformed in multiple ways. I don't feel that my race performances completely reflect what I've seen from myself in training. But much of that is a result of my lack of experience at the 70.3 distance and lack of the overall strength and durability - built through years of consistent work - needed to truly race this distance. The knowledge that I'm young in this sport and haven't raced to my capabilities yet is hugely motivating. Really, we are just scratching the surface.

Before this season, I didn't step on a start line healthy and in one piece for 2.5 years. There have been too many tears to count and a fair amount of pressure (both internal and external) to prove I'm actually cut out for elite sport. Sometimes I wish the road had been easier, but at the same time, the adversity I've faced has made me the gritty, resilient athlete and person I am today. I am incredibly thankful to be ending 2021 with my health, the ability to do what I love every day, and seven races under my belt - including one Olympic distance podium and two 70.3 podiums.

Sometimes it takes a long time for the hard work to show, but when it finally does, it sure is worth it.