Every now and then something amazing happens....Wow!! Second place at Eagleman!!!! It was a pretty spectacular day for me. 4^th out of the water, 3^rd off the bike and then 2^nd at the finish. I think getting out of the water in 4th might had been the biggest shocker of all... I could've just ended the day right there and been happy...ha!  Glad i didn't though :)))

Eagleman and I have a long history. It was the place of my first ever half. I finished 4^th OA amateur in my first attempt and thought half ironmans were going to be my calling. It must been a bit of beginners luck though because after that, my amateur half ironman performances were just sort of average and I fell back into Olympic distance racing.  I was more comfortable with the distance and I really them. Once I turned pro, I very quickly realized my focus was going to have to change. My swim was too much of a weakness to be competitive at the Olympic distance pro level (we won't bring up my Chicago Triathlon pro performance...yikes!) and so my quest to nail the half ironman distance was back on. I have raced Eagleman 5 times since.  In the beginning it was mostly because it was close but racing hot windy flat races are one of my favorites now.  So, when given the chance to race at Eagleman, I always do. And since the ironman gods seem to be against me this year (IMSA-food poisoning, Challenge AC-canceled pro purse), Eagleman ended up back on the schedule.  I was feeling a little more pressure going into Eagleman this year. After having a solid day at Chattanooga, I really wanted another strong performance to back up that result and Eagleman always attracts a strong field. 

One awesome perk of racing Eagleman is that I have the best homestay in town. Getting the chance to catch up with Dave and his other annual homestay guests was great and has become a bit of tradition. The rest of the lead up to the race was uneventful. Having done this race so many times I knew the venue inside and out. I also got the chance to meet up with my local athletes who

power/HR numbers and making sure I was hydrating. The benefit of being out on my own was I could also devote lots of attention to my fueling and hydration. Temperatures were rising quickly and I made sure to get down tons of fluids and salt. By the time the bike was over, I had gotten in 6 bottles of sports drink 3 salt tabs and 3 gels. I knew there some strong cyclists behind me and I had expected to get caught at some point on the bike but while I managed to not get caught, I did spy Sarah Piampiano coming into transition as I headed out on the run. Time to run fast!!! It took quite a while for my legs to come around. The first 3miles were not pretty and I felt pretty awful.  Fortunately after a few miles they came around and I was able to find a bit of a rhythm. Still, it was hot and I was not running very fast which had me worried, but time checks back to Sarah had me holding my ground. My sole focus up until the turnaround had just been on holding onto to 3

This was for sure one of my best results to date.  A second place against a strong field and at a race I love.  It's amazing to see your hard work pay off and some of your dreams start to get realized.  And honestly, it's not just the result that made this race so good.  It was my fastest time at Eagleman with PR's on the bike and run.  That's what this journey is all about-pushing my own limits.  Onward!!!