Pacific Crest 72.3

Beastman Medal

Juniper Pool in Bend.

Checking in to transition

 I wanted to get some thoughts down on my race in Bend, OR. This was a "race cation" but I also saw it as a perfect opportunity to race hard with less stress. It reminded me how much I love small town races and everything is not all about Ironman brand. The Pacific Crest 72.3 was an amazing event! Jacob and I flew in on thursday to Portland where his parents are. We drove to Bend on Friday, knowing the race was at altitude and wanted to limit time there. Sometimes you can fake your body into altitude by going straight into it if you dont have time to adapt. Also, you just have to adjust your expectations and know that pacing might be 5-10% less for a given HR or effort level. We stayed in Sunriver with a family friend that hosted us an amazing 2 miles from the race finish line. How convenient! The surrounding area was beautiful and I Knew we were in for a special race day. Instead of my normal race de-brief I wanted to highlight some of my key takeaways and then just leave you with some pics.
1) As expected, swimming at altitude sucks. On top of the that the water was really freakin cold so that makes it even harder. I did not start as hard as I usually do and really built into this two-loop swim course. I think this paid off dividends. I found my rhtythm and was flying on the second loop. I started my bike with heavy breathing but was able to push the lactic away.
2) The bike was all about pacing. I have biked at altitude before and know my bike power is generally ok. Yet, I expected it to be much less. I kept telling myself to be patient, but my power was really quiet good. I felt good, so I went with it. It worked. The bike was 2 miles long and I didnt cry this time about it.
3) I knew the run wouldnt be particularly fast because it was a weavy trail throughout the woods. The run was pretty damn boring with not alot of people out to spectate since it was a 1 loop 13.1 mile loop. I just kept trying to stay relaxed. I was getting splits and knew a fellow pro was getting close. At mile 10 Erin made the move and took over second place. I tried to stay with her but she was flying. Last 3 miles are always about hanging on so I wasnt afraid to let the HR go anymore and just push all the way to the finish line. 3rd place. All the pro females bike/ran roughly the same times so I knew I had a fairly decent day in comparison. I was super pleased to finish and walk away with my first payday and podium of the year!
4) I dont like to be cold but I do race well in it. Plus the scenery was amazing.

Pre Race with Jacob. It was 43 degrees out!

The in water swim start for the elite men and women

My "this is what swimming at altitude looks like"

Climb up to Mt. Bachelor. Amazing!

Running on the trail just trying to stay relaxed

Thanks to Kinsey and Erin for pushing the pace and keeping me on my game all day long

Thanks to The Gilden Family for hosting and super-sherpaing the race-cation weekend. As always my Zone 3 Vanguish wetsuit was super speedy and my Quintana Roo PR6 was literally zipping down the hill. My SBR Foggie defogged my goggles and kept my sunglasses clean. Thanks to Klean Athlete for keeping me healthy,Normatec, Bonzai Sports, DC Tri Elite,  and Matt Hanson Coaching. Now on to my Ironman build as I prep for Mont Tremblant in August!