... 7th in my age group! Holy cow!!! In my wildest dreams, I never imagined I could be top 10 at Worlds... let alone 7th!!! Needless to say I am thrilled! The conditions were not ideal, by any means (cold and rainy - 61 degrees, 10 mph winds, rain), but I have the Worlds finisher medal and a great finish... and I am incredibly proud! My swim was OK... arms so cold to start off, it took a bit to get into my rhythm. Bike was solid... took the course conservatively so as not to crash. And, the run... was my run of a lifetime... a PR at 7:28 pace.
Love the folks cheering "USA" as I passed by on bike and run segments. Really gives you momentum. Also, the Team USA coaches were calling out to me during the run (which did 3 2/3 laps in front of them and the stadium). I would hear them call me by my first name (impressive, since I don't know them all that well) and encourage me with "good form", "solid pace", etc. That really was a momentum boost each lap!
So, while I'm bragging here on the blog... I just realized I was the first American to finish from our entire wave, which covered the F30-34 group and F35-39 group. Unbelievable!!! I mean really... unbelievable! Most importantly, I felt like I had the best race I could have at the time I raced. I left it all on the course and have no regrets. It was such an honor to race in a Team USA kit this morning. And now... "It's Miller Time"!!!
Way to go Hope!!!!! Nashville is very proud of you in many ways!!!!!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations Hope all I can say is WOW that is an incredible finish way to represent the USA!!!! You have put in so much hard work and time into this race I so glad you were able to see it pay off. Safe travels back here to Nashville. I'll see you guys when you get back. Keith will be talking about this the rest of the year :).
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