Ketchup

Well, I have had a couple of awesome weekends of racing, and a couple of weeks of not updating the blog. I will try to recap as best I can!

Starting with the Ontario Provincial Triathlon Championships, held here in Ottawa. It was the first ever draft-legal provincial championships to be held in Ottawa, and we owe many thanks to Terry McKinty and Somersault promotions. It was a great race with some of the best weather we have had to date, and it was fun to see everyone from Ontario getting together.

I had a solid swim, sticking in behind Domi Jay and Dorelle Hinton the entire time. We came out on the bike together and eventually caught Angela Quick, making a pack of four. The transitions were clean, and I came out on top after the run, placing first overall and first junior with team mate Domi right behind!

Next up was a tune-up race in the town of Brockville, about 1.5hrs from Ottawa. With the National Championships coming up, it was a race for practicing transitions and getting a feel for putting all three events together. The race went very well and I settled into a comfortable pace, again a well organized race by Somersault. I enjoyed a nice day in the town with my parents, going to lunch and visiting the mansion of George Taylor Fulford, the owner of the company who earned the rights to the "Little Pink Pill for Pale People". It was a sensation in the early 1900's and it is obvious by the size and ravishing decor of the "house" that the family was very successful...

Finally, my most recent race was in Kelowna BC. I travelled to the amazing city on the 18th of August to race that Saturday in the National Triathlon Championships. I have never been to such a breathtaking venue, and the scenery was absolutely amazing! The water in lake Okanagan was...refreshing, but the mountains in the back drop were gorgeous! I stayed alone in a room at the Kelowna Inn; luckily the race site was close and Matt Vierula and his parents arrived soon after me!

I enjoyed some delicious dinners and gelato while I was there...but it wasn't ALL about the food and the scenery!

On race morning I woke up to sunny skies, but slightly chilly temperatures. I arrived at the race site and proceeded to warmup after checking in. Everything went smoothly and I was knew I was ready for a defining race.

I was ranked first and got first choice of positions on the start line. I made the mistake of looking at the very first buoy to determine my spot. The first buoy was just a sighting buoy, and so you did not have to swim around it. This realization came to me as I watched the other girls line up to the right of me, where they would be in clear water and I would have to fight for a spot!

Despite my poor decision, I had a decent swim and came out close enough to the front that I was able to work with a couple other girls on the bike and merge two small packs together. The course was very technical with four laps, and so Hilary Willie, a super strong swimmer who is a monster on the bike, was able to stay ahead of us for the entire ride.

I got out of T2 in about fourth position, and I worked hard for the first two laps of the run to put in a lead. I savoured the last two laps, and crossed the finish line as the new National Champion! When I crossed the line, there was no banner for me...I guess I was just too fast! ;) The race organisers had me run through a SECOND time, this time with a banner and after everyone had finished...I still haven't found any pictures of run through #2, but I will keep you posted!

I got to relax for the rest of the day, and pack up all my stuff, as I was leaving on Sunday for home. Unfortunately I didn't get to take in all of the Elite racing action, but I did get to see the majority of the woman's race. I wish I could have stayed longer in Kelowna to celebrate with all of the other triathletes, but it was time to head home to recover for a couple days and get in some final prep before my departure for Worlds in Budapest.

And that is where I am now! Just a week left at home before my departure. I have been resting and going over some final technical preparations. I can't wait to compete in what I am sure will be an amazing experience and my final triathlon of the season!!