If you've been following my blog, you know I have been in the 7000-9000 foot range for the last week. It has been beautiful and we are having a ball. But the altitude has been tricky and our breathing suffered, especially during our hiking and at last week's race. That being said, I now know first hand why athletes like Lance Armstrong train in Colorado. It's called blood doping. Train at altitude, deprive yourself of oxygen and acclimate and then travel to your race destination. Your body becomes so excited with the lower altitude, your red blood cells soak it up and it puts fire under your wings. Well not literally, but you get the idea.
I had a great race yesterday. I did not use a wetsuit as the water temperature was 73 degrees. My swim was terrific. I rocked it on the bike and averaged 19.5 mph. The course was flat and fast and I was only passed by one man. The run was hot and boring. One nice neighborhood lady was out with her garden hose and sprayed us as we passed but otherwise, not much action to distract us from the pounding of the pavement.
Results..... 1st place in age by a considerable margin. Podium finish. 14th female overall. I love holding my own with the 20 year olds...
Off to Bryce Canyon today and then back to Phoenix tomorrow. Our adventure is about to come to an end.
But stayed tuned. Lots more races this season. A week off and then on to West Virginia.
Please consider passing this blog link on to your friends. We still need donations (even $5) to help find a method of early detection for ovarian cancer. As much of a vacation as this has been, I don't want to forget why I REALLY do this. Help out if you can.
