On Sunday April 17th, I competed in New Orleans 70.3. It’s been about six months since my last race and I’ve done New Orleans before, so I thought it would be the perfect rust buster. It did not disappoint. Sustained winds around 23mph with gusts of up to 35mph, made every discipline “interesting”. I was panicky on the swim for the first time in a long time due to the chop; the headwind during the first 28 miles of the bike made for a scary and wobbly ride; and the wall of wind on the back half of the run was soul-crushing. The good news? The rust is busted! And all of my equipment this year ROCKS!!! I am so happy I had the chance to test drive it all in New Orleans and I cannot wait for the next opportunity to race! Here are a few pictures from the race… Enjoy!

Pre-race nutrition planning with Infinit Nutrition… (So serious!)

This beauty had some prime real estate in the hotel room. (I couldn’t let her sleep outside!)

The winds caused a delay, so there was plenty of time to catch up with friends in transition.

A few of the pro girls before the start. The calm before the storm…

This picture was taken by a local reporter. Dozens and dozens of people abandoned the race during the swim due to the scary chop.

Whew! I didn’t drown! Through T1…

And onto a VERY windy bike course…

The run!!! I couldn’t feel the wind… yet. 😦

Mr. Yellow and I went back and forth a few times…

Post-race: All smiles! My bike, saddle, watch, nutrition, and helmet were all INCREDIBLE!!! (Notice the flags in the background? The wind was still howling!)

Many thanks to: CEEPO, Drivetrain Sports, Cobb Cycling, RUDY Project, Infinit Nutrition, Mac’s Smack,  POLAR, and Lindsay Mock, one of the BEST race sherpas EVER!!!