My July/August ended up playing out quite differently than I had originally planned. After some fun and recovery from Syracuse 70.3, I was looking forward to carrying on the good momentum, getting in a couple weeks of quality training and getting back to racing. Unfortunately, my body had other ideas. Just as I was jumping back into training, I got sick. At first I wasn't too concerned. It was mid-season and I figured I probably just needed a little more rest. But as the days dragged on and I was was still not functioning at 100%, I began to panic a little. My original race plans went out the window and I did my best to stay patient and wait it out. I tried a few times to get out the door to train but each attempt was unsuccessful. Three long weeks later, I was FINALLY able to get back at it. I haven't been sick like that in a long time and it certainly wasn't fun! Coach P didn't waste any time in ramping up the training and after 2 tough and exhausting weeks of training, I headed off to Timberman in hopes that I still had some salvageable fitness.

Two months away from racing seemed like ages and I felt like I was starting my season off all over again. While I love racing Timberman, I absolutely hate the drive up there. Too many miles, too much construction and way too much traffic. Next time I'm flying. Anyway, we arrived Friday afternoon, headed over to the race site for a quick swim and bike and then off to find our house. We opted to rent a house this year with a few friends instead of stay in a hotel. It was nice to be close to the race site, have a kitchen and room to spread out and relax. So many triathletes from Philadelphia come up to race Timberman so it almost feels like a hometown race. Race morning came quickly. I was a little unsure where my fitness was after some significant time off and only a couple weeks to prepare but it sure was nice to be racing again.

The swim went smoothly enough. I missed some feet early on and ended up swimming by myself. In hindsight I should tried a little harder to hold on at the beginning but I still ended up with a decent swim. I came out of the water in 6^th and a few minutes down from the leaders. I was off on the bike and climbing before I knew it. The first part of the bike course is all uphill and then it flattens out. I got caught by 2 women during this early section but I did my best to keep them in sight. One women did get away but I was able to pass the other girl once we hit the flat section. After that, it turned out to be a lonely ride. I couldn't see anyone ahead of me and there were no out and back sections for me to judge where I was in comparison to the other women. I focused on staying on the gas and pushing hard. As I got closer to the end of the bike, I attempted to do some math to figure out my bike time. I wasn't very happy with what I came up with. I put a little more pressure on the pedals. In the end, I ended up with a better second half of the bike but I was still off of what I know I am capable of biking. Obviously I was still a bit off because my run was even less stellar. Whether I lost my edge a bit with my illness, was still a little fatigued from my training block or just having off day, it was a great day of racing, a beautiful course and fun to see so many familiar faces out on the course. In the end, I was lucky to snag 6^th, make a little prize money and win a signature bottle of maple syrup. 

The highlight of the day was my athlete, Amelia, who was one of my first athletes I started coaching. She raced to a huge PR at Timberman, finishing 3^rd OA amateur and meeting the qualifications to turn pro. She has been working toward this day for many years and it was great to be there and share in her big moment. Of course the post-race festivities did not disappoint with so many friends up there. A clam bake, s'mores, and a huge brunch Monday morning. Then, the dreaded drive home.... Then I have 70.3 World Championships and some unfinished business to complete on this course!

Housemates	Post-race clam bake
S'mores