Gina Kehr Race Report
Wildflower Triathlon
May 2, 2009


Opening day, Wildflower Triathlon, WOW, has it changed since the last time I was there in 2002. I went to WF knowing I was not as fit as I have been in the past for this race. Ironman Hawaii did a little havoc on my body post baby and I was still paying the consequence in January and February. By March I was finally able to get some consistency in training and with my new found love for the gym, I was using WF as a race to let me know what is working and what is not working. I am not going to lie, I was a bit unsure how my body would handle the distance.

Race morning, the weather seemed perfect for most, cool, cloudy, but for me personally, I like it HOT! I was hoping that coolness would burn off but it stayed slightly cool for the day, breaking 70 degrees after we finished.

One of the biggest highlights of the day for me was as I was walking to the swim start I saw Dane Patterson and Blaine Cotter heading down as well. WHO are they you ask, only BIGGEST LOSER CONTESTANTS from this current season!! Oh, did you not know I am totally addicted to that show, I am a HUGE fan, I watch it every season. I heard they were going to be at the race and I was so hoping I would get to meet them. As luck would have it, they were walking literally next to me as I was heading to the swim start, so I went right up to them and told them what a fan I was and gave them each a HUGE hug to wish them luck. I was smiling ear to ear and it made my morning.

As we lined up for the start, it was sort of surreal to be at WF again. They day before I was introduced as one of the legends in the sport, it was made clear I was at minimum 3 years older then everyone else standing next to me. It was 10 years earlier that I was standing on the start line as a second year pro with the likes of Paula Newby-Frasier and Heather Fuhr. Anyway, I digress….the gun went off and next thing I know I am in the thick of racing again and it felt good. The swim went as best as it could, definitely not my A game but a start. The bike leg was exciting as this was my first time riding the WF course on a TT (Guru Crono). I was within a minute of my best bike split for WF with not nearly the amount of training I would do for that race. I feel really good about that and thank my Crono big time. My legs were not trashed when I got off the bike and I started the run conservative for the first 4-5 miles. I got a HUGE second wind starting around mile 5-6 and ran super hard all the way to the end. I finished 7th overall, passing many of the woman the second half of the run. In the end, I got what I came for, the double D’s; dinero and data. I beat my guesstimated fitness level and I know what I need to do for the rest of the season but more importantly what I need to do for the number one race: Ironman World Championships.

Next up: Uvas Triathlon May 17th.

Let it go,
Gina Kehr