I'll start my race report by going back to the Friday before the race. After feeling uncharacteristically exhausted while running an interval workout the previous day I decided to go get the painful bump on my right butt cheek checked out at the hospital. Bad news, the bump was a cyst that needed to be removed surgically as it was affecting the rest of my body. When I asked the doctor what kind of a chance I had of racing next weekend he replied no chance. so They injected me with morphine, then knocked me out with anaesthetics and preformed the surgery. I feel pretty good afterwards, and they told me not to train and come back for IV antibiotics. I came back the next day and had made a much better than expected recovery and was able to easily ride my bike. However in order to help the antibiotics they gave me a substance called propencid. As it was only my second ITU I was not familiar with the doping regulations and rules. Both Morphine and propencid are banned substances as I found out on my third and last day of IV. NO big deal right....right.... wrong. As I would find out later a doctors notice by itself is not sufficient by itself if tested. so at this time I am traveling to Mexico with my dad while my mom is at home trying to figure out the system and what I need to do. It was incredibly stressful as I was faced with the decision of whether I race and if caught basically be banned from the sport for a minimum of a year and be always labeled a doper, or not race travel all that way spend all that money and forgo my only chance to qualify for the World Championships. Ultimately I decided to look long term and not race, but to continue to prepare in case, I had given up hope and it wasn't till the day before the race as a result of both my mom and Dr Keeler (Canadian team doctor) that I was able to race knowing there wouldn't be a problem. I had been able to resume swimming and running by the Wednesday and my injury felt good so I knew it would not be a problem, maybe it was a blessing and I was extra rested.
After a 30 minute delay the race started at 12:20, which unfortunately in Mexico was a very hot time. The swim was an ocean swim with a surf that exceeded 10 feet. IN warm-up I got hit with a face that threw me around so much that I lost my cap, a bad sign? hopefully not. So the race started and we navigated the surf out to the first buoy. Once we got there I just followed the feet in front of me and bodies beside me. Eventually we rounded the last buoy and headed for the beach. It felt like I was in a movie about D-day where everyone catch the surf and hits the beach at different points, and then once your on the beach it people screaming for you to get up to the bunker. I good hear there the lead pack as I ran up the beach and after a good transition I was out on my bike and hammering hard. I am not so good at getting my feet in , but once they were in I flew by a bunch of people. I stuck to the strategy that Jill Savege had said and just time trial it myself and not count on anyone for help. about 2k in I caught a pack rested for a bit and then went to front and hammered. I went out front for about 2.5 K and could totally see how we were gaining on the lead group. I knew it was only a matter of time before we caught them and some of the other guys in my group then started to take turns pulling. We caught the lead group around 8k in there were two guys out front but I didn't even know that till after the race. It took me a while to accept that I was in the lead group that early I checked and saw all the guys I thought would be contenders and even asked Andrew Russell if this was the lead group. After that I rode conservatively in the group, I did some work at the front and maybe next time I might try a break or two, but this time I was just shooting for a top ten and I had good confidence in my running. I came off the bike towards the back of the pack that I was in. Lesson learned always try to get to the front. the course required riders to go through the transition area on their bikes and then turn around a cone and then dismount. This cause a bit of a bottle neck that I got caught in, its too bad I didn't know about the cone I guess that is why you get to the prerace meeting on time. Two lessened learned Never rely on Public transportation especially in Mexico and get to the prerace meeting early. I was horribly slow in transition racking my bike the wrong way and had a real battle putting my shoes on. With the bottleneck entry and slow transition by the time I left transition I was gapped by even the second last person in my group of 24 and was about 20 secs back from the group of 7 guys that were leading the group. At this point I decided just to run my own pace and try and catch up. I began to work my way through the field and was gaining on the lead group for about 5k. I had picked off the stragglers by the time I headed out on the final 2.5k lap. By this time the lead group had started to pull away from me and I was really thinking only two things keeping pouring water on me to stay cool and don't blow up and you'll be top ten. Next time I am not going to be happy with just top ten and will have a different killer instinct mind set, but that is just a raise in expectation. I finished 7th overall and top Canadian I gave a fist pump as I cross the line knowing that I had hit the selection criteria for Worlds. It wasn't until 30 minutes later that I found out that I had won the U23 division and would go up on the podium with the national anthem and what not.
It was defiantly a great experience and I am very pleased with the result. Having said that I eagerly awaiting my next ITU race so I can improve upon my result. I think that although I didn't finish first I did learn more than anyone else there. I know that when I practice and apply the lessons that I learned I am going to be very hard to beat. I know that if I had had a smoother transition I could have ran with that lead group and challenged for the podium. I also know that I'll get it all together by the time the World Championships rolls around in Vancouver. I am waiting to hear back this week as to whether or not I am officially selected but, the Mazatlan result definitely puts me in good standing and puts me on the Triathlon Canada map.
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