First race of 2014 is done and dusted. Unfortunately it was a DNF due to a calf injury:( Here's a quick recap of how it went down:

Swim: The swim was extremely choppy. I took it out strong and by the time I got to the first turn buoy I could see I had opened up a bit of a gap. I guess all those beatings from B in the water the last few months has paid off. Or maybe it was my speedy Roka wetsuit! Whatever it was, I felt really good and just made sure to keep my turnover high and the pressure on throughout the swim. Had about a minute lead on the field out of the water.

Bike: Wind, wind and even more wind. We had a ripping tailwind the first half of the bike and it felt easy. I knew I needed to hold back a bit on the way out because it was going to be brutal on the way home. I got to the turn around and Emma Kate was not far behind. I put my head down and focused on staying as aero as possible. I knew everyone would be suffering in the wind and I just kept thinking stay small, do not sit up, do not sit up, do not sit UP! The way back felt like it was never-ending. Off the bike (finally) and I had about a 2:30 lead.

Run: I knew going into this race that I was taking a bit of a risk. I had pulled my calf about a week before the race and had been 'babying' it race week with some super easy runs and ART treatments. Race day was the first test of running fast and unfortunately I didn't pass. Six miles into the run the sharp stabbing pain returned in my calf and I came to a complete stop. I hobbled another 1/2 mile and then called it a day. It's never easy to drop out of a race but knew I would do more damage if I continued as I could barely walk. The season is long and the focus now is to get my calf healthy before I toe the line at my next race.

Thanks: Special thanks to our sponsors for their continued support this season. Also, thank you to Heath and Larissa Mcbride for the amazing accommodations.