Wildflower On-Sprint–Anna - 2018

Date/Location:	May 6th – Lake San Antonio, Bradley, CA
Distances:	Swim .25M – Bike 12.4M – Run 5K
Time:	1:27:05 (9:14 – 2:26 – 51:42 – 1:27 – 22:15)
Place:	2nd/12
Teammates:	Long Course Teammates: Clyde Floyd, Reynold Lewke, Robin Soares; Friends: Dave Leroy, Elise Winter Olympic Course Teammates: Caryn Galeckas, Dana Haldeman, Suzanne Hartley, Troy Soares, Sydney Lewis Friends: On-Road Sprint Friends: Chase Visser, Josh Cagney

When setting up, I was excited to do my first wildflower sprint race. There was a girl I had met yesterday, who I prayed for last night, who is also doing the sprint. Her name is Jazmin. I was hoping to see her before the race start. Yesterday I got new bike shoes because it was a half-off sale. And my biking shoes wouldn’t let me do the trick where you keep your bike shoes on the bike and put them on while you’re biking. My dad also got me new shoes laces so on the run I could slip my shoes on. Normally you wouldn’t change much before a race, but we did.

As I walk down to the swim start I am nervous and excited. Dad told me to do it for fun and for God. I see Jazmin at the swim and we both know that God’s got our backs. I warm up in the water and get ready.

SWIM: They say go, and I am off. I jump in and start swimming. All of the girls seam to leave me behind as they swim ahead. I keep swimming and try to stay with one girl. I swim around the buoy and try to catch up as I swam to shore. I try to pass different people on the way back to shore. I swim in and do my best kick off of my wetsuit. I pry it off my ankles and run up the hill to transition. It is hard but wakes me up from the swim. I run into transition put on my helmet and glasses and grab my bike. When I get to the jump on part, I jump on my bike and almost fall off because my shoes (that were connected to the bike but not to my feet) hit the ground. I then bike away from transition and while biking I slip on my shoes.

BIKE: I start biking up the big hill. It doesn’t seem that hard, thanks to God. I pass a lot of people on the hill. I hear noise behind me and see that a girl just crashed. I’m pretty sure some people had asked if she was okay because she stood up to got back on her bike. I cheer people on as I pass them. I get to the top and feel good. I start to bike into the country. I try to go fast to catch some of the girls that passed me in the swim. When I going downhill, I get in my highest gear and try my best to get up the next hill.

When I hit mile 4, my toes start to feel cold because my bike shoes don’t have a tongue. It was helpful for sliding my feet in, but it lets air come through. I keep biking even though my toes are cold. At mile 5, I start to look for Jazmin who was in front of me. I am hoping I would be not too far. After a while I see her and say good job. I then see a brick building up ahead which I had seen on the way here. I know I am close to the turn around. Then I see the turn around! I am careful not to fall or knock anyone over when I turn around. Jazmin is still far ahead and looking strong, but I try to go faster.

On the way back, I say good job to people in my age group or others going out. I see the FCA signs which remind me who I am racing for. I praise the Lord on my bike as I get closer and closer to the big downhill to transition. I enter the camping area and bike to the hill. On the way down the hill, I try to stretch my legs out, so they could be ready for the run. A few people pass me on the way down because I am not sprinting down the hill to avoid falling off my bike. As I get to the flat, I start to slip my feet out of my bike shoes. I come to a stop in front of transition and jump off my bike. When my feet hit the ground not only did the ground hurt a but my feet were still numb. As I run though transition, my feet hurt as I run. I don’t slow down though. I put my bike up, slip on my run shoes and I am off!

RUN: The numbness starts to go away as I run out of transition. I run up some steps and onto a road. I start to feel good as I run. It is like the bike, an out and back course. The road goes up and down and isn’t too hilly. I see a girl up ahead and pass her while cheering her on. I keep running hoping to catch some more people. I am getting close to the turnaround. I see Jazmin coming back and l tell her good job. I keep running and then see the turn around and another girl in my age group. She looks like see is struggling. I tell her good job and make the turn to go back.

On the way back, I see the first girl I had passed and told her good job. I run and tell more people good job and some of them say good job back. I can hear the announcer as I get closer. I come out of the trees and make sharp turn into the finish chute. I sprint in. There are two older girls that I pass sprinting in. I praise the Lord and told Jazmin good job. I cheer the other girls in. I came out 10^th in the swim and had the fastest transition and moved to 7^th place. My bike moved me into 4^th place and I had the 4^th fastest transition which kept me in 4^th place. Praise the Lord I had the fastest run and moved up to 2^nd place behind Jazmin. Praise the Lord for He is good his love endures forever.