Queen of Rockhall

This past weekend I raced my third race for the month of September and my final race before putting my head down and starting my Ironman Prep for Arizona this year. I picked another local event part of the Virginia- Maryland Triathlon series because I really enjoy sleeping in my own bed and having the ability to travel and race with friends near by. This time it was Waterman's Half which, actually was the same race course as the "Double" I raced back in June. With such success of coming away with two wins there-- one in the Olympic and one in the sprint; I thought it would be cool to add the Half distance to the trio. This would indefinitely make me the Queen of the island right?

Having found some success, fitness, and confidence from some good races just a few weeks back, I went into this race fairly confident but ultimately just looking to put together the solid half I knew ALL YEAR I was capable of. My history with long course racing this year has been nothing but impressive but really just a series of bad luck. I joked with a friend before the race that "could I please just finish the damn thing". In reality I knew I could. I Hadnt done much of a long run since before Ironman Canada, and my long rides had been lacking, but that didnt scare me one bit.

I drove to the race with DCTri Elite Team captain Bryan at 445 AM and we arrived promptly with an hour to spare and prep our transition area. When we got there we noticed how much the trees were blowing and when we stepped out the car we realized it was really quite cold with the wind gusts. This is when we always start questioning our life decisions-- We signed up for what? Anyways, it wouldnt be a race without a few mother nature elements and hell it could be worse.

This is what I felt like.

The swim was a wetsuit swim so I wore my Blue seventy Helix and navigated the open-but-jellyfish infested waters. Literally-navigated! We had to do a crazy out and back before even starting the two loop swim. There was no divider so we were swimming head on into the other waves of athltes. The wind was so bad that the sight buoys were everywhere. It was complete chaos. At the end of the second lap I wasnt even sure where the damn exit was but luckily I found out by the flare of arms in the distance. Needless to say I swam my normal-ish 1.2 mile swim time and I was first out the water and chasing down the boys. Cue Bryan yelling to me in transition: "Damn you Liz!"

Takek a look at that: Doesnt look too bad, but damn it was!

On to my Quintana Roo PR6 bike and immediately I could feel the wind Gusts. My choice of 808 front wheel was certainly not good and as my Coach David says, it was good practice for bike handling skills. Well thats one way to look at it. I tried to calm my mind by just executing my numbers, drinking and eating, and not crying over a few lost minutes. My bike was MUCH slower then I had expected because I could barely stay in aero without flying across the road. The winds were 20mph cross winds with 30mph gusts. I actually thought about the people who would be racing in Kona in just two weeks and thought they were really missing out on good practice for what was to come!!

Running to the finish line.

I have never been so happy to get off the bike and on to my #OwnTwoFeet. I didnt know what really to expect here and I was expecting a slow fade with lack of long runs but I knew I could still run comfortably strong because tempo running is my happy spot. I settled into roughly 7 min miles and it felt great. My legs were there. The course was a 3 loop course and it was actually pretty enjoyable with lots of runners from both international and half races. I took a peek at my HR and I was pleased to see it was hovering right where it should be. I knew I could push it up the last couple miles and I was going to execute the run I had been searching for all year. I kept focusing on fluids and gels at each station and thought about my form and staying up right. Next thing I knew I was on the last lap. I remember seeing one chick who was rather close and must of started in a different wave. She was just the enough pep in my step to remind myself "every second counts". I crossed the finish line in first by 59 seconds and a new Half PR of 4:42.

Another VTMS Podium! That makes 5 for the year.

It was a good day. Another reminder of how you can take "bad situations" and turn them around. I dont really think there is such a thing as a perfect race but it has alot to do with how you deal with the situations you are given on your day. This is SO important as we enter our last round of ironmans for the year. Stay the course, but more importantly, stay mindful and ready to conquer whatever comes your way. Good luck to everyone's final races for the season and I look forward to following your journeys!

Thank you so much again to my sponsors. We are one step away from the big show and I couldnt do it without Kiwami Tri, Blueseventy, Quintana Roo, Bonzai Sports, Klean Athlete, SBR sports,Distract Taco, DC Tri, Club Tribe, Matt Hanson Coaching,  my Coach David Tilbury-Davis, my friends and people who believe in me. I think about each of you while I am racing and you give me reason to believe and push on.