Many of us take part in triathlon for a certain reason.... To reach a goal, to inspire a family member, to challenge ourselves both physically and mentally. As a Female Pro Triathlete, I not only hope to inspire, but also share with you my reasons for racing. Triathlon has become a huge part of my life and during my early years of triathlon my Dad passed away. I used racing to find inner strength and prove to myself that I would be okay. Over the years, I have become much stronger, and I find comfort in knowing that though my Dad is not physically not here, he is here in spirit. I know that he is with me in every single race I do, every single workout I do, and every little up and down I may encouter. He is my strength. Many of you know and have helped me pursue my dreams by helping to fundraise for the Crohns and Colitis foundation. Any time I doubted myself or struggled, I remember the support team that I have and those that I would be helping by choosing to race for this reason. This weekend concluded my first time raising money, and with a few special last minute donations, I reached my goal of $2000   raised. With over 40 donations, and lots of love and support, I know that I have some of the greatest people in my life.  

This weekend was very emotional for me and my mom flew in to share this race with me. She doesnt get to see me race ( in fact she has only seen me race once!). Having her support, and thinking of my Dad during the race helped me to get through the race. I love to the local races because so many of my friends and clients are out on the same course. Its fun to cheer each other on and to share the passions that we love and have in common. The Kemah Triathon is an Alcatraz qualifier so it brings alot of hype. OnUrMark Productions always puts on great races so I was excited to participate again. I did the race last year and knew what to expect. Unfortunately mother nature was rather violent the night before, and the race ended up being an Aquathon yet again! (Recall my race in September- the Houston Triathlon which also became a swim-run race). To be honest, biking is not my favorite, so whenever the bike is removed I am a little more relaxed about the race. However, I also knew that the swim was going to be rough and open water swims still get to the bottom of my nerves as well!                               The Race:We all boarded the boat and took the 30 min ute ride, 1 mile out. The water temperature was 68.2 and the pro cut off is 68, so go figure we didnt get to wear wetsuits. I actually dont like wearing wetsuits, but when there are swells and rough current, wetsuits really DO help that much. The Pros got to dive in so we lined up on the side of the boat and we were off. I dove in and remember the first thing I thought was, My goggles are still on! Then I found feet, and I was determined to stay with. Things were going pretty well until a huge wave took me up and when I came back down, I dont know where the feet went. It didnt frustrate me like it did in South Beach. Instead I just kept working hard. After a few more wave up and downs, I saw some feet splash about 20 meters ahead. There they are! I was not out of this race! We exited the water relatively close. Times were not fast, but I was happy to be in the mix. Surprisingly I found out post-race my swim time was even slower than last year, and slower than south beach. Gesse! That was some rough water! I actually put my shoes at the water because it was a .6 mile run back to transition. Since we didnt have to get on our bikes, having the shoes on already worked out well because I just had to grab my race belt and I was gone! The run was really fast and flat. My teammate Shannon was about 20 seconds ahead of me so I Just focused on staying with her and never letting her go. I got terrible cramps about mile 1 but I knew they would go away. Thats one thing I Have learned-- They WILL go away. So I kept my pace well and just stay positive. I remember thinking about my Dad, and just having fun. I ran a 39:47 which is one of my best 10ks in a race to date. I finished 4th female pro, and really just happy to be able to do what I do. My Mom said she was so proud when I went through the finish line.   I am heading out thursday for Rev 3 Knoxville! It will be my most challenging race this year because of the course and the stacked field, but I am ready for the challenge!