Gabriella at 4.5 months

Many of you may already know but most do not unless you have met my daughter. My daughter Gabriella who is 4 was born with a port wine stain on the left side of her face. It covers most of the left side: going down half her nose and lip, covering all of her cheek, part of her temple and partly over her left eye. At the time of her birth we were told the best thing we could do for her was to see a pediatric dermatologist who specializes in vascular birthmarks. We are so lucky to live in the bay area as we discovered one of the best in the business was right in San Francisco (about 35 minutes away) at UCSF. When Gabriella was two weeks old we took her to see         Dr. Frieden and from there scheduled 7 laser treatments starting when she was 5.5 months old. Why laser treatments?

Complications of Port-Wine Stains per American Academy of Dermatology

Port-wine stains, especially those on the face, can have emotional, social, and economic complications. Port-wine stains on the forehead, eyelids or both sides of the face, can be associated with glaucoma and/or seizures. Glaucoma is an increased pressure within the eye that left untreated, can cause blindness. These complications occur in less than half of those with port-wine stains of the forehead and eyelids. All infants with a port-wine stain in those areas should have a thorough eye examination, and if indicated, further brain imaging.  Occasionally, there may be very gradual enlargement of tissues surrounding a port-wine stain, especially if it is affecting an arm or leg. All children with large port-wine stains should be followed for any growth problems.  With time, port-wine stains can develop small blood vessel growths called vascular blebs. These can bleed easily and may be removed.

What is a laser treatment?

Various methods have been tried in the past to remove port-wine stains, but none have worked well. New types of vascular lasers show the best results with the least amount of risk and side effects. Laser treatment of port-wine stains is FDA-approved and available at many dermatologists’ offices around the country. Laser surgery is performed on an outpatient basis. Several treatments are usually required, given at two month intervals. In a small number of patients, lasers can totally clear up the port-wine stain. They lighten the vascular mark 50-90 percent. For reasons that are not fully understood, a small number of patients will not respond well to laser therapy.

We started with laser treatments 01/06 and went every other month until about 9/06.  We stopped after 5 treatments because we felt Gabriella had got the most out of the treatments she could.  The lightening wasn’t happening anymore and we felt she had been exposed enough at this time to help with other potential complications.  Putting her too sleep each time was just so hard, we felt it was time to take a break and we could start up again when she was older.  As she has been growing up we have been trying to teach her how to answer the question “what is wrong with your face?”, “why is your face red” and the long stares from ADULTS and children.   She is doing great and each situation teaches us another way how to handle the lack of education.

As I said earlier, I am writing this today because I came across this link yesterday that I think can help educate the public on the PWS (birthmark) community. It came to me at a special time because Gabriella just went to UCSF yesterday (1/15/10) for her 6th treatment (first one in 3+ years).  The pictures below are from her treatment yesterday.  I also posted one after her 5 treatments from when she was a baby so you can see the difference.  I will post one every few days so you can see the healing process and how it works.  The video shows a young women who takes you through her treatment.  A great Port wine stain documentary to educate the public as well and show strength and courage in doing so.  So the next time you see someone with a large red, purple, mark on their body; now you know, it is just a birthmark.

Gabriella at 18.5 months after 5 treatments

December 09-Gabriella 4 years old 3+ years since treatments

Gabriella 1/15/10 4yr old 8 hours post treatment

Gabriella with best friend Ian-2 days post treatment

Gabriella day 3

Please go to photo’s to see latest pictures of healing process….

let it go,

Gina Kehr

It is time for me to move on.  The consummate athlete in me is not satisfied.  I know there is more in me; I can feel it.  I know I can focus, train hard, make the necessary changes for the 15+ minutes that I know exists in my body. BUT, it will come at a cost that I am no longer willing take.

My body can do it.  Yes, I am 40 and yes I have had 2 children and several injuries but you know what… my body can do it.  Weights and a little more massages and my new found love of resistance stretching and I am GAME ON! But where I am tapped out is mentally. Not mentally doing the workouts; mentally with my life and all that it involves on top of the training and all that it entails.

My husband and I have been married for 12 years and in January of 2010 I will have been a professional triathlete for 12 years.  We went into this venture as a team.  He has been my BIGGEST support every step of the way.  At the end of every season we reevaluate the year and deicide if we keep going.  But this year proved to us that going into 2010 we are at the tipping point; not just financially but emotionally.  My triathlon career has always been a bit on the hectic side.  I do think it is part of what makes me tick and I did get a kind of rush being so successful with all the juggle.  But this year the juggle started becoming more stress than the rush.  The cost is higher than the gain. My kids are little, my daughter will be in kindergarden next year, Blaisen will be 2 in January and they really need me to be more available. Not just physically but emotionally.  My days are whirlwind days and add fatigue of training and all the mental power that goes into that, I am at my brink by the end of the day.  Plus, it is time for my husband to have his time.  He is a firefighter and even though the schedule may seem like it is easy with 24 hours off at a time, it is tough.  No family around means when he is at work and I need to train I have to pay for a sitter and when he if off duty and I need to train, he is always the sitter. He deserves and needs his time.

So, it is time for me to move on.  What does that mean?  When I first starting thinking about moving on I was first in the mind set that I was done, selling all my stuff and that was that.  But I had just crossed the finish line at IMAZ and in no frame of mind to make any decisions.  Now that I am thinking more clearly I remember Karen Smeyers telling me something; never say the word retired.  Rather than saying I am retiring, I am saying that racing as a professional triathlete will not be my priority for 2010.  I may or may not be on a race course next year.  I will stay as fit as I can but not put the demands for training on myself as in previous years. What I will be making a priority is giving back to the sport everything I have learned.  It has been so clear to me all year this is the direction I should go.  I feel I can do SO much, there are so many avenues that I can go down I get all choked up just thinking about it.  I love helping people, I love sharing my experiences and now is the time to do so!  Plus with all that is going on with the women fields at Ironman races maybe there is a way I can help so we can set everyone up for success.

As we speak, I am in the process of creating a triathlon business here in the bay area of California.  Excuse me for not giving more details at this time, but I want to make sure I can deliver all that I say, so I am thinking carefully in announcing my agenda.  I can tell you this though; I am really excited for all that I will offer and I will be launching in early 2010. Please stay tuned!

There is a whole group of people that I want to pay special attention to but if I do that here, this post will be WAY too long and I want these people and companies to get the props they deserve.  I have been very lucky to work with such great sponsors and to have so many influential people around me that they need to have their own post.  Please check back for Part II of Moving On.

Happy Holidays to all.  Enjoy this time of year and spend extra time with family and friends.  Get the rest and relaxation you need and mentally fill your tank; so next year you can attack it like it is your first time out the door!

Hugs to all,

Gina Kehr

Let it go

Philippines 70.3

As I write this I am on the airplane home from Ironman Arizona; one day post race.  If you have ever done an Ironman you know the deal: you finish, you swear you will never do another one and the next thing you know you have yourself going at least 30 minutes faster if X didn’t happen and you sign up again.  I know, because this is how the post race dissection goes for me.

Does that mean I am not happy with my 4th place finish at Ironman Arizona; no not at all.  I am very happy and it was the best I could put out that day.  But it does mean I still feel there is a better race in me.

When I arrived in Phoenix 3 days before the race I realized the weather was going to be a bit cooler than what I like to race in.  I was bummed but I was keeping my game face on and pushing forward.  All I could think of was how happy I was I packed my arm warmers and a vest at the last minute.

The morning of the race it was just what it had been all week; COLD, I believe in the upper 40‘s maybe 50 degrees at the most.  It was low enough for my Zoot long run pants, a few shirts, jacket, beanie and gloves.  Trying to stay fired up was a bit tough for me as I just do not do well with the cold. But I knew the day would warm up so that kept me motivated.  Once I was set w/my bike in transition I went and did my pre-race warm up run before the swim.  I was feeling ready to conquer what the day gives me.  My training post Kona had been good and based on workouts I really felt there was a solid PR in my body which may get me my first Ironman win overall.  I was ready to finish the year with a BIG result.

I put on my wetsuit and when it was GO time, I jumped in the SIXTY THREE degree water at 6:40 in the morning for our 6:50AM start.  It was pretty dark when we first jumped in; I could not see a thing, and I don’t mean my hand in front of me as I swam, I mean any body else.  It was a little unnerving but after 5 minutes or so it was better and by the time the gun went off there was a bit a light to make it easier.  The swim start was smooth, I lined up way right and most of the group lined up to the left.  I was a bit torn on where to go and in hind site I feel I should of lined up with the group to the left.  When the gun went off I made the break pretty good and I ended up getting hooked in the first group but I was on the tail end.  As we were cruising along I felt fine sitting in but then sort of out of the blue I was gapped.  I have no idea why but by the time we made the first turn around buoy I was solo, and I mean solo.  I swam the rest of the swim completely by myself.  The main pack put 3 minutes on me, the other pack was about 1 minute behind me.  When I came out of the water and saw that I had a bad swim I had to let it go and focus on getting into T2 and on the bike.

The day was still VERY cold.  Colder races this summer proved to me that I need to be warm so when I came out the water I needed to put on arm warmers, a vest and calf sleeves to even give myself a chance to warm up.  My fingers were useless due to the swim; thank god those volunteers helped me.  My transition was slower than normal due to putting on the clothes but I am so glad I did cause that first loop on the bike was really cold.  The bike portion was 3 loops of 37 miles and there were over 2500 people who started the race.  My first two loops I managed to stay solo.  I saw several large groups behind me and by loop 3 I was sucked up by a group that contained quite a few men and another female pro.  It was very hard to stay the distance as we were now catching lots of slow riders.  At one point I had to sprint to the front to try and get out of it but I obviously could not hold the pace and would have to slow down to get passed and then get sucked up again.  I tried to sit in the correct position the best way possible.  I would drop back and then an age-group guy would get in front of me and then I would pass back.  It seemed there were tons of people around all the time. I would pass then get passed back, move to the right, to have 2 guys to my left or have someone jump over as we would pass.  It was crazy.  We would then get strung out, which was great, but then someone would get in front of me to have me drop back to only pass back and the cycle continued.  At times you’d be 2-3 abreast trying to pass but no one letting you pass.  Every time I would try and get the 10 meters an age-group guy would jump in front making me drop back, then I would find myself riding aggressive to not let them in but then I’d be too close.  It was nuts.  Bottom line; with that many people on the course, it seems as though the bike portion of the race is set up for failure rather than success.  By mile 90 we had now caught other pro woman who looked to be in the same situation and now it would get even worse cause as we would pass age group men they would go with us just messing up the mix.  I would try to only race the woman yet I would end up racing and being penalized for the men in conjunction with the women.  It is complicated.  I ended up getting a penalty around mile 100 by being in the draft zone on a little riser w/o passing.  I understand why but I felt like I had no place to go; there were tons of people around, a few to my right, many behind me and some sitting off the back to my left.  Maybe we all need a class on how to deal with the current situations.  If WTC is going to allow 2500 people on a 37 mile bike loop, how can we set everyone up for success and be competitive? Maybe that is the way we need to look at all this; set us up for success.  Anyway, I digress.  I took my penalty at the end of the third loop right before transition, by this time I was in 3rd on the bike.  Once I was in the tent the other female pro who I was with in the group came in too, why the others didn’t get one-who knows.  I sat my 4 minutes in the box and then finished the bike into T2 to start the run.

Due to the penalty I started the run in 6th place about 13 minutes down from first.  As I started the run I noticed I had some sort of asthma thing going on.  My lungs were killing me, my chest hurt like crazy and when I spoke I sounded like I had smoked all day.  I have never experienced anything like that and I can only think of it must of been from breathing so hard on the bike or it was the dry air and pollution.  I started out conservative so I was able to work through the asthma.  Nutritionally I was not feeling so good and my plan I had originally set in place was not working.  I had to stop at a porta potty on the first loop and then by mile 12 I was on coke and water only.  One more porta potty stop after that and I was feeling more normal and could get into my groove.  From mile 16-17 on I would try and pick up my paces and I was able to pick off a few more spots and get myself into 4th place.  I was told 3rd was within range and I kept picking up my pace little by little and I was taking time back as spectators through out the course were giving me splits.  By the time I got to the finish line I was 1 minute out of 3rd with a time of 9:21- a PR by 6 minutes.

I was very tired when I finished; I really just wanted to go to sleep.  I ran hard thinking I needed to finish going for that third place spot all the way to the end and emotionally this was a big race for me.  See, when I went to Kona this year I knew that was going to be my last race; my swan song; my final Ironman of my professional career.  But when I was DQ’d I just felt going out like that did not seem right so Arizona came into play.  But getting “up” for Arizona was hard, very hard.  I did a good job for quite some time but the last few weeks before the race were tough.  What got me through those last few weeks was the belief that I had a good chance to go out with my first ever Ironman win but a PR is where it will end.  I had a good day but not the day I thought I could have.  I am not making excuses for my performance, we all had the same conditions, it is just a matter of how we dealt with it on race day.  I did the best I could that day and that is what I have to be proud of.

My first pro race was in 1998 and it was an Olympic distance race in Arizona.  My last pro race is an Ironman distance race in Arizona some 11 years later.  The first time I ever qualified for Kona was in 1997 as a 25-29 age group triathlete and I turned it down.  The last time I qualified for Kona was in Arizona in November of 2009 as a professional triathlete and I  turned it down.  These are not ironies I thought of prior to the race they are just parallels that I realized as I am wrapping up this chapter in my life.  Coincidence? I think not.  Pretty funny how we can come full circle with out even knowing it.

Let it Go,

Gina Kehr

My next blog post will be my Victory Speech I have always wanted to write on my career as professional triathlete and what lies ahead.

much love, Gina

Pro file: Gina Kehr

October 5, 3:31 PMBoston Triathlon ExaminerClaire Lunardoni

Gina Kehr celebrates her fifth top-ten finish in Kona just months after
the birth of her daughter. Photo courtesy Gina Kehr & Mark Freeland

Gina Kehr is the full package: wife, businesswoman, pro triathlete, and supermom. With over a decade of professional triathlon racing under her race belt, and a top-ten finish in Hawaii five of those years, Kehr seems to have figured out what every age group triathlete struggles to nail down: a balance between work, family, competition, and speed.

Perhaps Kehr’s key to balancing her professional career, triathlon career, and family is that she targets only a few big races a year and trains to shine. She even turned down her Hawaii slot the first time she qualified. Considering her track record in Kona compared to racing junkies, her focus seems to be working. This year Kehr’s passport got a vacation. Six of the seven races in which she participated in her Hawaii and Clearwater build-up this year were in her home state of California.

In the nine years between her first World Championships in 2000 and last year, Gina has missed the top ten only one year that she competed (in 2002 she was eleventh–hardly a bad race). Talk about consistency! In those nine years, she shattered her arm and gave birth to two children. After taking a nearly 3-year hiatus from racing between Kona in 2003 and Kona 2006, Kehr took 4th, shocking the Ironman world.

Kehr’s success rate at the world championships puts her in the company of triathlon legends. Of her contemporaries (Gina has been racing long enough to span the time gap between Paula Newby-Fraser and Chrissie Wellington), only eleven other women have seen the inside of the top 10 as often as Gina. Of those eleven women, only five are on the start list for this year: Fernanda Keller, Belinda Granger, Natascha Badmann, Jo Lawn, and Kate Major. Interestingly, of the six women competing this year who have been a frequent feature in the top ten for the past decade, only Natascha Badmann has taken home the victory. Maybe Gina will be the second to earn the distinction in 2009.

In 2008, Ironman pundits may have been ready to write Kehr off. Sure, she had had a good race in 2006, but now she had skipped another year of training and had another baby. Plus, she was getting on in years (Kehr turned 40 last month). Instead, Gina dazzled the world by capturing 9th place just after her daughter’s eight-month birthday. “The life lessons she experienced [after having children] sharpened her mental focus and, although she shocked the world at the Hawaiian Ironman… she did not surprise herself,” says Gina’s official media biography.

Kehr is also a supporter of Jenny’s Light, a charitable organization founded by Becky Lavelle to raise money and awareness for issues related to postpartum depression. Lavelle lost her sister, Jenny and infant nephew as a result of the untreated postpartum depression and psychosis. As a mother, Kehr says that she feels compelled to spread the word about Jenny’s Light. Many new mothers, especially those who have been very active in sports or a career (or both), suffer with the transition to their new role as mothers. Since a baby is meant to be the most joyful experience in their lives, they may feel like they are “bad mothers” if they complain about their depression symptoms, and so they suffer in silence. Kehr’s role as a mother has dovetailed with her pro triathlon career, but she understands that many women like Jenny Bankston have trouble making the transition to motherhood. Kehr supports Jenny’s Light’s efforts to improve the detection and treatment of postpartum depression.

Gina Kehr has proven that she is one of those women who can do everything. Pile on the pressure of a career and a family, and she only seems to get stronger. Now that she has had another year to build on her post-baby fitness from last year, Kehr will be a force to be reckoned with at the front of the women’s field. We look forward to watching her prove that female triathletes, like a good wine, only get better with age.

Gina Kehr

Nationality: American
Age: 40
Pro since: 1998
Career highlights:

• Five times top ten in Hawaii (2008, 2006, 2003, 2001, 2000)
• 1st place Stealhead 70.3, 2008
• 1st place ITU Boston 2003
• 1st place Ironman USA 2003
• 2nd place Ironman Germany 2001
• 2nd place Ironman France 2002
• 2nd place Philippines 70.3, 2008
  What she rides: Guro Crono
  Sponsors: TriBike Transport, H2O Overdrive, Guru Bikes, Zoot, Kaenon Eyeware, Gu, 3T,Health Logic LLC, Stanford Masters Swimming, Kona Endurance, Front of the Pack, Coldwell Banker, Janie and John Barman

http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-19794-Boston-Triathlon-Examiner%7Ey2009m10d5-Pro-file-Gina-Kehr

Two days post Ironman World Championships and I am still stunned as to my outcome; a DQ.  It is unbelievable to me that a race of such prestige can hire such amateurs to hold the fate of an athletes outcome in their hand.  I want it to be noted that I have not yet read any of the race reports that have been written either by WTC itself or by any other people who fell victim to this very poor sportsman ship type of behavior.  I want to get my side of the story out through my thoughts with out any other influence.  Below is a summary of the 4 penalties I received during the bike portion of the Ironman World Championships on October 10, 2009.  I am and always have been a fair player and I stand  true to my integrity as an athlete and human being.

Penalty Number 1:  It was somewhere after we turned off the Queen K and were well into Kawaihae heading to Hawi.  I had been caught by a large pack of woman somewhere around mile 25-30.  The pack consisted of names like, Michellie Jones, Belinda Granger, Joanna Lawn, Miranda Carfrae and Rebekah Keat to name 5 of the 7-8 woman.  The pack was strung out in a line and it looked as if everyone was staying the proper distance.  There were times when the group would bunch up and that was especially true heading up any grade.  We would ride consistent and then have to put on the brakes to naturally stay the distance.  My first penalty came when I accidentally was pushed into the draft zone due to pace of the group slowing up not due to riding up the wheel.  The pace would slow and boom-you are in the zone.  That is how it happened; I was riding along and then the pace slowed I entered the draft zone by .5 meters and then got flashed a RED CARD.

Taking the Penalty: I took my 4 minutes in Hawi along with Michellie Jones and Rebekah Keat-they entered the tent about 20-30 seconds ahead of me.  While we where there Joanna Lawn came in with her second one but I learned that was just serving a yellow which is a check in.  I also learned she served her first one (4 min for drafting) on the highway.  She must of been popped in our group as well but was able to take her 4 min in the first tent which was along the highway.

Penalty Number 2: Once leaving the tent I hammered to try and get back in the game to keep the other two woman in site.  It looked as if Rebekah and Michellie had regrouped and added a few people on the way.  I did all I could to just keep them in sight.  As we turned back onto the Queen K things were starting to go a bit south.  I was feeling how hard I had ridden the beginning and was having some fuel issues.  The winds had picked up and around mile 80+ an age group guy caught me. I dropped back but then caught back up; I had my head down and new I was too close and before I knew it I was tagged again for drafting.  He told me the next penalty box was in transition and to take it there.

Penalty number 3: After that referee left me I knew I was 2 strikes against me; I was bummed but I was still feeling like I was in the game.  I would just take a little break in the transition.  I was in no mans land or what I also like to call the “dead zone” when the third one happened.  Still in need of fuel, the winds were pretty tough and I was swerving all over the road. I even said to my self, “wow Gina you are all over the road get yourself under control” when this woman came up to me with a VERY bad attitude almost like she was angry; like we had had some sort of confrontation earlier.  Now it should be noted I had a red slash on my number indicating I was one penalty in. Anyway, she came blazing up to me and screamed I was blocking and flashed me a yellow card.  I was STUNNED.  Blocking? Blocking who? I was in no mans land at about 90 miles.

Penalty number 4: I was all over the place emotionally.  First thought was…3 penalties….what.  I guess I should quit.  Then it was “no I am going to ride this in.”  Then it was, “this is crazy I am going to ride in and protest this.  I have been here 8 times, I know how to ride this course, I know how to ride period, I have had ONE penalty in my entire 10 year professional career and today I get 3? No no no, something isn’t right I am going to keep going.”  I am at about mile 95-100 when I hear the motorcycle behind me again.  An age group guy had passed me and I slowed down and let him get his distance.  He was actually a dot and half in front of me, I hear the motorcycle just hovering behind me and when I look I see that it is the same lady referee. She rides up to me and stares me down.  I was floored.  I said “WHAT are you doing?  I know how to ride, I have been here 8 times and I know what I am doing. I don’t get it.”  I stood up as we are on a climb, not charging just standing and she glared right at me and took her stop watch and started it right in front of my face as if to say, Take That, and after 30 seconds she flashed me a red card, called me for drafting and rode away.

At this point I admit it, I lost it.  I was crying and just have never felt so picked on in all my racing career and at the WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS none the less.  I then got so pissed I told myself I was going to finish this race and still get top 10.  I rolled into transition in 9th place; I did go straight to the tent.  It was total chaos.  They had ran out of watches, there were people everywhere and the head referee was over his head with what to do.  I told the head referee I wanted to protest, tried to explain quickly what had happened but he was lost for words.  He said I could go run but that I needed to know I would most likely get DQ’d but that I could go have a good run and we would deal with it after the race.  So into the changing tent I went, and off to the run I went and now I was in 16th place with the time lost in transition.  Mentally, I was trying to wrap my mind behind what was happening.  I was trying not to focus on it but at the same time I knew once I hit that highway on the run I was going to need all my mental strength to get through that run.  It was then that I stopped to talk to my husband and tell him what happened to get his opinion.  As you can imagine he was shocked and to make a long story short by the time I would run again I had lost so much time that at 8 miles it just seemed pointless to keep going just to finish.  I have done this race too many times to know that it takes everything out of you to get through that marathon and I was just not willing to go there under those circumstances.

The thing that I want to get across is this.  I am all about fair play and I will be the first to admit when I was wrong.  Of the 4 penalties, I absolutely will accept number 2 and take full responsibility.  Number 1 is questionable and I know I am not the only one who walked away with one of those.  But number 3 and 4 to me was purely bad sportsmanship on the referee.  She was out for blood.  I am disgusted by her, she purposefully gave me penalties and DQ’d me. As far as I am concerned she has put a red mark on WTC and the types of people they hire.  I have no idea how this can be made right, all that I worked for for that particular race is gone, I was disrespected as an athlete and as a supporter of WTC.

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