Racing in Boise over the weekend was a complete bonus for me.
Early in the season when plotting my race schedule, Boise was at the top of the list. So was Ironman Coeur D’Alene… I guess you could say I love the neighboring state of Idaho. I didn’t want to compromise the Ironman, so I opted to race in Kansas and do the traditional 3-week taper for IMCdA. Kansas came and went, and I was a bit let down with my result. I knew I could kick it up another notch. Post-race in Kansas, Matt Dixon surprised me with a text message with the words *BOISE 70.3* in it and I was grinning from ear-to-ear.
I love to race, I love this Sport, I love a last-minute decision, I love stiff competition (current World-Champ, Julie Dibens was racing), I love the fitness gained from a hard effort, I love the town of Boise - this was going to be a perfect bonus addition to the schedule. Tickets were booked, I unpacked, laundered, re-packed and was off to the races!
Boise is a great little town that reminds me a lot of my two other favorite towns: Missoula & Bend. The afternoon start lends itself to a laid-back atmosphere (as long as you embrace it) and the rolling hills suit my strengths. I also love the spectator friendly run as you can get so much energy from the crowds. As my gal-pal Mags (last years Boise 70.3 champ) said “there’s something magical about Boise!”. I wasn’t the only person to plan a last-minute trip to Boise, ma & pa Pickell got in on the action as well.
I knew the race would present a challenge in itself as there would be only 5 days between races. I also would be the only one to take on both current world champs (Chrissie in Kansas, Julie in Idaho) one week apart. The only way to tackle this challenge is a lot of rest, recovery, & repeat.
Race morning was awesome. I had a nice sleep in, a good little jog, a big breakfast of bacon + eggs, I got to visit with Team Hutter, watch some World Cup soccer, and then it was 2pm. Not a bad start! By the time the swim start rolled around the temps were hot and the winds were howling. I started off the race with a solid swim leg and was happy to come out of the water in striking range of my competition. Julie stole the show with her remarkable cycling, but I played right along and posted a fabulous bike split as well, entering the run in 2nd place.
I am not sure if it was racing two events back-to-back or the extreme weather conditions, but the run at Boise was exceptionally challenging for all the competitors. My legs felt like they were in an Ironman and I really had to dig deep to find and keep a rhythm. This was a perfect reminder of what is to come at IMCdA. I heard reports of Julie (in the lead) faltering at the front of the race and I did my best to close the gap.
I was happy to cross the line in 2nd place, knowing I gave my best effort on the day.
Post-race included an awesome meal downtown with some friends we hadn’t seen in a while. Off to awards. Then we were on a mission to find some ice-cream. The only problem was everything was closed. After abandoning the mission, my dad surprised us all by locking his brakes up and flipping a U-ie and finding the Fanci Freeze… which was the only ice cream joint open until midnight! Thank goodness. It was the perfect end to the perfect day.
Normally I would thank my sponsors who are all so wonderful. But the big thanks on this one goes to Chris Corbin. Chris helps me grow in Sport every week and continues to be my number one supporter. I couldn’t do this without him. Yeah Team Corbin!!
We hit the road tomorrow. My sis is getting hitched, then off to Bend for a few days and then its Ironman time.
Keep living your dreams!!!
Linsey
