Challenge Knoxville

This marked the start of pro-triathlete racing for me, and I was nervous (like, extremely nervous).  Many doubts running through my head in the week prior to the race, so I tried to just focus on proper race preparation and showing up on race day ready to give it everything I had. A 11.5hour drive to Tennessee on Friday meant 11.5hours of country music J but also getting quite stiff by the time I arrived at a somewhat sketchy hotel north of the city. Saturday morning I drove the bike course and got to see all the hills that were in store for me (there were lots), and thankfully in the afternoon I was able to meet up with fellow Multisport Canada ambassador AlexVanderlinden at the race briefing, where he assured me I was needlessly worrying.

Race day dawned with some rain, but warm waters so a no wetsuit swim for the pros. Everyone else was wearing a speed suit, which I don’t own given that Ontario doesn’t provide much opportunity for non-wetsuit swims, but i don’t think that it made a difference in the end.  A 15 minute warm-up in the water and the men were off. 3 minutes later were the women. I initially jumped on the feet of the person beside me, but quickly realized she wasn’t taking the best line to the buoy and with one quick move was on the other side of her and chasing down the chase pack. I worked my way up to the front of the chase pack and was swimming beside Rachel McBride, which I had already figured was someone who was going to swim about my speed. I couldn’t get away from them, so swam beside her at the front of the pack for the last 1200m and got out right beside her. The lead swimmers were almost 3 minutes ahead, but that was actually less than I was anticipating.

T1 was rather uneventful, although I would like to say that I always put my bike shoes on in transition and clip in, rather than having my shoes already clipped into my bike. I know it looks way less cool, but I have always thought it was faster my way in the end. Because I got out of the water with 3 other people, I now know for sure that my way is faster. Although the last out of transition, within the first 50m of the bike I was ahead of the others as they tried to get their feet into their shoes. So to everyone else who puts their shoes on in transition, keep doing it that way J

The rain picked up significantly while we were swimming, so we had torrential downpours during the bike. It was awesome. Rachel McBride took off in the early miles of the bike, but I ended up cycling with 3 others for almost the entire ride. I got my ass kicked on the uphills, but beat them to the bottom every time (something to do with E=mc², particularly the ‘m’). It was a hilly course, lots of technical riding with the turns, but it was a lot of fun. Another fun part was riding past a farm where the cows were lined up like spectators.

something like this

I had the feeling that I was cycling above my ability levels and that I was going to pay for it, but it was a risk I was willing to take (you never know if you don’t try). With about 10km to go 2 of the women dropped off the back, so myself and eventual 3^rd place finisher Jeanni Seymour got to transition about the same time. Two women had significantly faster bike splits than the rest of the field (Mcbride and Rebekah Keat), but the next 5 women or so had very similar times, of which I was a part, so I am pretty happy with the bike split.

As soon as I started the run I knew it was going to be a tough 21km. My back and glutes were unbearably tight (they still are 2.5 days later) so every step was painful. I don’t know whether this is a bike fit issue, or due to the fact that I spent so long in a car on Friday (or a combination of both). Initially I was hoping to run with Seymour, but after 1.5 miles she obviously started to feel better and picked up the pace, and I had nothing to go with her. I just focused on getting to the turn-around, one hill at a time (and there were many of them). I definitely did not drink enough on the bike and was feeling the effects of that, so was slowing down (not that I was moving particularly fast to begin with) at all the aid stations to chug two cups of water. At the aid station at 3.5miles one of the volunteers told me that “just past the lights it’s pretty flat, no hills for a while.” I was suffering pretty badly at that point as it was just after the biggest hill on the course, so I got pretty happy. But it was a lie! It was nothing but enormous rolling hills for the next 6 miles.

 Maybe she was just trying to make me feel better (it worked, so can’t complain). I plodded my way to the turn-around, by which time my back was loosening up a little bit so I  silently cheered myself on with each mile marker I passed. With 5km to go I saw one of the women ahead of me (Spieldenner), who seemed to be suffering more than I was, so made it my mission to catch and pass her. By that time I was less than 2 miles from the finish and just held on to the finish line. Definitely one of the toughest runs I have ever done, but crossed the line in 5^th place in a field of almost 25 women. I am certainly in no way pleased with the run split, but thankfully I know I can run faster than that, so it is just a matter of being able to do it after biking hard for 90km. I sense more brick runs in my future :P

Post race I got to chat with some of the other pros including fellow Canadian Rachel McBride (who is awesome)

And my name even snuck into the race report on triathlete.com http://triathlon.competitor.com/2015/05/news/dye-smith-claim-challenge-knoxville-titles_116293   #smallvictories

Thanks for following along and all the support. It’s been amazing so far and I’m and looking forward to improving from here