Finding Balance: Witch City 2013

Witch City Triathlon
Salem, MA

1/3 mile swim - 6:35 (2nd)
T1 - :35
13 mile bike - 33:03/ 23.6mph (3rd)
T2 - :27
3.1 mile run - 18:02 / 5:49/mi (4th)
FINISH - 58:37
PLACE - 3rd Overall

A week before this race, which I won in 2012, I came very close to having a meltdown. Exhausted and frustrated, I was simply miserable. Despite taking 1st, 2nd, and 3rd overall to that point in the season, I felt as though I had been a huge failure and was taking steps backward. I didn't want to train anymore. I didn't want to race again. I wanted to sell my gear and never come back to the sport. Then sleep. I just wanted to sleep. I was a train wreck and probably not very fun to be around.

Fortunately, Stephen was able to talk me off the ledge. By mid week I was in a better place mentally and somewhat ready to race again. With my body starting to enjoy the benefits of some rest and recovery, I started to remember why I enjoyed the sport. Still, I found (and continue to find) myself trying to figure out where triathlon fits in my life. I need to find balance. Triathlon is important to me and something I value deeply, but it doesn't define me. It's a component to who I am, but it isn't who I am. Being miserable and focusing so intently on this one aspect of life wasn't healthy and it was important that I found a bit of perspective in order to be successful in and outside of the sport.

The night before Witch City, with Eileen visiting her brother on Cape Cod, I tried something new. Rather than research my competition for the next day I pulled out the photos from our wedding and read the blog posts I'd written about that day and our honeymoon. I didn't think about triathlon at all. Rather, I thought about what a tremendous year it had been outside of the sport. It was the best decision I've made all year in regards to racing.

Sunday morning was actually enjoyable. I rode to the race with my dad who was also competing (with an injury and against my advice...). Once there I was able to connect with my coach, Stephen, and two of the guys on his team, Cam Piper and pro Justin Roeder. All three are good guys which made the morning pass quickly as we waited for the start.

When the gun sounded, I was mugged in the water. I've never been hit so much in my life. The first 75 yards of the swim were absolutely brutal and left me with only 1 goggle lens to see out of. The other had been knocked by a wayward arm and filled immediately with water. Still, I was able to work my way toward the front and eventually found Justin's feet. We pulled away from the field by the second turn buoy and opened up a small gap before hitting the beach.

As we made our way out on the bike course, Stephen came flying out of nowhere and went off the front for the first mile. Going 26 miles per hour myself, I saw Stephen riding off into the distance and that was cause for concern as Justin was going with him. With Cam on my wheel (legally...) I worked hard to bridge the gap. Within 3 minutes I closed in on Justin and went by Stephen. Shortly thereafter, Justin missed a turn and I found myself leading the race. By the end of the first loop on Marblehead neck, though, I'd been rejoined by Justin and Cam. We were riding hard, but nobody was able to separate from the group. These two are unbelievably talented cyclists so I was thrilled to be sitting in a group with them. While we couldn't break from each other, we were putting loads of distance between ourselves and anyone else in the race.

Justin, Cam and I all entered the second transition together, but I made a rookie mistake that cost me dearly. As I attempted to rack my bike, I fumbled and lost 5 or so seconds to the others. By the time I was running, they had put me on the defensive. Justin took off immediately, but Cam was near enough for me to reach if I could get my legs moving quickly enough. For the first 2 miles he was within 15 seconds of me. I, however, could not find the speed to bridge that gap. He was within 75 meters, but I couldn't manage to reel him in. Not much changed in the final mile. Justin would go on to win as expected, Cam crossed in second and I rounded out the podium in third. For me, it was an outstanding effort. I'd hung with a legit pro and 2016 Olympic hopeful in Justin and one of the country's top amateurs in Cam.

While the race itself was a major success, I was even more happy with my approach. I was as competitive as ever, but without allowing that to consume me. I was beginning to strike a balance between real life and sport. It's something that I will need to continue working on, but I've certainly taken a step in the right direction. With a more well-rounded approach to training and racing I see myself enjoying the sport more and racing to my potential more often. In this way, Witch City was a major breakthrough and one that will propel me forward in all aspects of my life.