Well, what can I say…that was brutal! I had a great swim, one of my best of the year, I was right in there. Felt strong on the bike. My calves started to cramp a bit around halfway but I was able to stretch them out. I came into transition around the middle of the pack so I had to play a bit of catch up in the first km of the run. I made my way toward the front of the group and ran there for just over a lap. During the second lap I started to fall apart as both my quads seized up and my stomach was cramping too. I was basically jogging for the last 2 laps and went from being in about 10th place all the way back to 27th. Very disappointing and frustrating. I’ve struggled with cramping in the past but thought I had it figured out. It’s obviously still an issue and I will be experimenting with a few different approaches leading up to my next race in Huatulco, Mexico. This is the last World Cup race of the year and I’d love to finish the season off with a great result. I am currently ranked 21st on the World Cup rankings, the highest placing of my career, so if I can jump a few more spots (into the top 20) I would be very happy.

The photos were taken by Frank Wechsel of the ITU.