Post Race

Taking It All In

The days after the race were quite a whirlwind. I wanted to see as many events as I possibly could. After my race, we took a taxi down to the famous water cube to see diving (men’s 3 meter springboard prelims). After the men’s race, we went to see synchronized swimming and then headed back for the triathlon party. Wednesday was packed, with BMX in the morning, followed by viewing the Athlete Village, having a burger at the USA House and then headed to the Olympic Stadium for a night of track and field.
BMX was an awesome event and I think it is a great addition to the Olympics. It was incredible to see eight guys race on the dirt track all at once. A crash was very likely each lap, which kept fans on their toes. Watching the cyclists’ explosive power on the cranks to fly over the jumps was very impressive. The three American men and one woman did very well. Although, one of the men crashed on his last quarterfinal, he still had enough points to move onto the semis. At the start of the run, another competitor took him out on the turn and he went down hard. He dislocated his shoulder, but the doctor popped it back in place on the spot and he was able to get back on his bike and finish the lap so that he could still get into finals…..insane? crazy? Incredible
The track and field stadium was massive and breathtaking. The design of the famous birds nest was unique. The stadium can hold up to 91,000 spectators…I have never been inside anything larger. We got to see 5000 meter prelims (two American men advanced), 200 meter final (Michael Johnson’s world record broken, with a time of 19.30), women’s hammer throw, 110 men’s hurdles prelims, women’s 200 meter semi-finals. It was an exciting night and a long, but eventful day. We got back to the hotel around 11:30 and hit the sack as Nate and I were departing in the morning back to the States.
It was great to share the experience with my family members, as they attended the events with me and Nate. My family will be spending the next couple of days seeing the Great Wall and viewing a few more events. They were such huge supporters leading up to the race and throughout. I wouldn’t be where I am today without their support.
I had wonderful support from USAT staff as well, not only in China, but leading up to the Games in California and Korea. Katie Baker made sure we had our travel arranged, created a slide show for us, and put posters up on our doors in Korea. Jeff made sure our bikes were in working order, while Diana was able to give up pre-race massage treatment in China. Dr. Keith was able to be with us in Korea and China and work his magic on any ailments the athletes were having. Sharon and Andy were coaches for the Olympic Team and were there for us if we needed to get to a training session, mental preparation, or anything we needed. Bobby McGee was able to help with my run form and mental skills. Scott was there making sure everything was under control and working behind the scenes to make sure everything was running smoothly. Bob was a making sure the food we were eating was not going to get us sick, while also monitoring our hydration. He has been helping me prepare for the past three months with workouts, mental skills, and always there to help.
USA athletes have been so lucky to have such wonderful support staff and I could not be more thankful for all the effort that is put forth to make sure we have everything we need as athletes. Thank you!
Currently, I am flying back on the plane (was able to be bumped up to business class!!). I took a nice nap at the beginning of the flight and hoping that is enough to get me through the day of travel ahead of me. I am off to Chicago first thing on Friday morning to work with Toyota at the expo for the Chicago triathlon. I am not planning on racing, but looking forward to finishing up the remainder of the season strong. My next race is Elite Nationals in Portland, Oregon on September 20th, followed by the Dallas Triathlon on October 5th and finally an ITU World Cup in Mexico on October 26th.

Beijing Race Update

Beijing Race—August 18th, 2008

Fortunately for the women’s race (and the men’s race on the 19th), the weather was spectacular. We had nearly blue skies and a clear day, which enabled the crowd to view the beautiful triathlon venue. I have raced on the course twice before, but the race venue has never looked so crisp and green.
The race began at 10:00AM and all 55 athletes were announced and jogged down to the pontoon. I have to say I definitely had the pre-race nerves and all the fans, friends, and family here to support us heightened the excitement of the race. I had swim spot number three (near the right side of the pontoon). We had a very long swim (nearly 600 meters) to the first buoy and warm 81 degree, calm water. I had a bit of a struggle getting to the front of the swim pack as it was difficult to break away from the other swimmers. Once I got to the front, we were swimming several women across, which created a large draft behind us. It was also difficult to break away out front, with so many girls swimming across each other at the front. I exited the swim in front position, but we had a very large group headed out onto the bike course.
I had an average transition and quickly tried to make a move on the first hill. However, with a pack of 20 plus women, it was hard to get to the front on the hill because of the narrow road. I was stuck in the pack on the first lap, but was able to move up in position so I could push the second hill hard to try and split up the group. After couple attempts of breakaways from other athletes and my own attempt to break away on the hill, I realized that it was very tough to be able to break from the main group….there were so many strong riders in the group.
The race was going to come down to a run, as many of the players were all in the front pack. I moved up to the front of the group before exiting the bike and had a solid transition (although I was still about five seconds back from the first girl to exit). The run started off fast….I felt comfortable, but did not have the leg speed to keep up with the top girls. I kept my focus throughout the run and managed to feel strong all the way to the end. I ended up finishing 11th overall, with a solid race. My goal was for the pack to be smaller exiting the bike; however, it did come down to a run race. So many outcomes can happen in triathlon and you have to be prepared for all the different games that can come into play during the races.
Crossing the finish line, I was excited for the medal winners, especially for Emma Snowsill as she crushed the run and finished over a minute ahead of Vanessa. Laura had a great race, just missing the medals with her fourth place finish. Julie was a fighter out on the race course and ended up finishing in 19th position.
The atmosphere of the race was truly incredible, from the grand stand of spectators to the quarter mile of media lined up at the finish line. The women had the advantage of racing first so that we could enjoy cheering on the men the following day. The men’s race was extremely exciting and can down to a sprint finish between a German, Canadian and a New Zealander. The German pulled off the sprint and won the gold, with Simon Whitefield of Canada taking the silver (he was the gold medalist in 2000). Hunter was the top American with a strong 7th place finish. Jarrod ended up in 18th and Matt 34th.
I truly enjoyed my first Olympic experience, but I am already looking forward to working on qualifying for 2012 in London!