Des Moines - Debbie
25 June 2007
Over the weekend I got to travel to the Mid West of America, Des Moines, Iowa to compete in the sixth round of the BGB World Cup Triathlon.
It was a record-breaking prize purse thanks to the dedicated work of presenting sponsor, American grocer Hy-Vee. $200,000 plus a HUMMER was up for grabs.
The NBC have now taken full coverage of these races and I had the chance to do a pre race interview and some interesting race kit modeling. This is a great opportunity to get world wide coverage and fantastic sponsorship exposure.
It was by far the hottest and probably the hardest conditions that I have raced in with temperatures reaching 36 degrees but it was the high humidity that really zapped the energy out of a lot of people, including myself.
By the end of the day's racing only 26 women would cross the finish line, many succumbing to the hot and treacherous conditions. It was brutal right through to the finish line where it was like a hospital scene with girls on drips and being attended to with ice.
A group of Americans established a good lead out of the swim, including a few others which worked remarkably well on the bike together. Our chase pack just couldn't get it together to get some time out of them. Coming onto the run though I was placed with current World Champion Emma Snowsill so thought it would be a good chance to run together and get some time out of the front group.
Out of T2 it was a strange sensation, a lack of energy and speed. However I knew if I continued to work hard I would start to pick off some of the leaders. Through out the run it was about literally about not blowing up. It was such an interesting race, usually if your just on the edge you can push that limit and hurt yourself here it was if you went over that limit you where on a drip and IV !
But that is what makes our sport so interesting. I finished 9th and was content with the outcome. I head to Edmonton, Canada this weekend for the next race, so I have to get my blister sorted, look after the body for the next couple of days and I'll be ready to rock n roll again on Sunday for the next World Cup.
So this is my last week in Boulder, I am really going to miss this place, everything here has so much character and most importantly damn good coffee and chocolate dipped biscotti.
But Europe is calling and will spending a couple of weeks in Germany, back down at sea level, to get some big miles and hard training.
Chepnyigen is on a mission!
Debbie Tanner
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