Stacey Richardson’s Tri Nationals Race Report

It was a great day in Kansas City on Saturday. It was a weird day and I’m still kinda puzzled by all of it.

So —- Here’s that lengthy race report. Feel free to delete it now and save yourself the time.

This was my A race of the year. I haven’t tapered since last summer and I was sure as hell ready. Of course, Dave’s tapers are all relative- not enough sitting around for my taste. But he has outdone himself again on yet another great race so I had better shut up!!! I have never felt so calm before a race in my entire life. Coach Dave agreed that he, too, was shocked to see me not doing my manic spazz attack stuff and antics before the race. Dunno, just felt calm inside the day before and day of. Very strange. It was either gonna be great or suck, big time. I once again chose to race without a watch and race by feel, goal being to simply slaughter any women within my range.

Got into swim in the muddy smooshy likes of Smithville Lake at 8:45 am. I thought I’d hate having 6 waves of racers in front but it didn’t seem to matter. Found some clear water and watched one girl take off in front and caught the feet of the second. We dropped the rest of the pack. How strange? Why wasn’t I being mowed down like crazy, as happened at Nationals the one other time I went. Guess the boob job rehab has come along nicely! (ps, there were 2 other girls there with equally disproportionate hooters!!!) found out later I swam about a 23. fun!

The water wasn’t calm but all was good anyway. Got to the finish and some wench came up beside me to sprint out of the water first. Good, enjoy your HR of 200 bpm and I’ll see you later!!! Dave screamed, you’re 4th! I shrugged and kept on going. I mean come on, there’s still a bike and run to go so I didn’t let it even register. I thought to myself that ok now, 12 people could pass me on the bike and/or the run and I’d still make it to Worlds. I wasn’t about to let 12 people pass me without a goddamm good fight, but I wasn’t sure where I stood. Off I went on my sexy new disc wheel, feeling fine and loving the noise it makes. All that money for a great noise. Yes, Peter spoils me rotten. But hey, we didn’t really need that new dining room table anyway, right? ; )

Bike- started passing lotsa people and NO WOMEN passed me. That’s really queer! Now I’m passing men, too. I never pass men in the NCTS
because the fast age group boys mow down some of us “Elite” women. Nice to pass men! Felt strong but played it conservative maybe by a minute. I mean, heck, who knows what that 10k has in store!

I came out of my aerobars twice due to crosswinds and was a bit twitchy. Said to myself. “You can’t get to the podium if you’re afraid of the wind. Get back in your aerobars!!” Funny that some pompous word like podium would come to me. : ))) Got back in aerobars.

T-2 and here comes some girl right on my heels. Turns out she had the #1 women’s bike split of the day and must have been on the hunt. Ok then, wanna race?? Oh crap, she’s a runner- look at that nice, relaxed upper body. That says runner. Ever seen my upper body and how “relaxed” I look? 10k was a game of patience. Runner girl and I passed a girl in our age group who told us we were 2nd and 3rd. Huh? Really???? Ok then.

Aid station #2 came and some dufus was walking and sipping his water in the middle of the narrow lane. I ran smack into him, despite swerving and I promptly hit the pavement flat out. I cursed him up and down and got up with a few scratches to catch runner girl. Let go of my anger pretty fast- very strange! Got her. We ran together until mile 5, just outside of the closing hills. She said in a friendly way, ” I hope you don’t have a kick at the end of this.” I replied that top 16 in our age group was my goal and that I was a swimmer without a kick… She and I both smiled and she said she didn’t have much of one either. She then kicked me to the curb the last .25 mile. She apologized after the finish and confessed that she was a collegiate MILER! Was happy to be kicked by that, but I”ve got your name in my book now Michelle LeBlanc. I’ll be looking for you at worlds!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was tired but not in need of the medical tent or assistance in walking after the race. How strange. Maybe I WAS rested?? 3rd in age group when I didn’t know that top 16 age group was even possible. That’s so cool. Even better, at the nerdy awards ceremony that night I found out that the overall winning time for women was 2.13.

WHAT?????????????????

(stood up there with top 10 in my age group and felt like a huge dork and will kill Shelley if she ever produces that picture!)

So I came in fourth overall for the women, which means even more to me than that age group placing. I kinda don’t like this distance, as I think it involves too much suffering, but I think I’ll give it a few more tries.

ta ta for now. Off to eat more chocolate. : )

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