Miami 70.3 in Pictures

Posted on November 1, 2015 by mcroohi

On October 25th I competed in Miami 70.3. Here are a few pictures from the trip…

Jaybird Pre-Race Photo Shoot #1

Jaybird Pre-Race Photo Shoot #2

Jaybird Pre-Race Photo Shoot #3

A quick picture outside of transition on race morning with my teammate and roomie, Lesley Smith.

What you can’t see in the water are the JELLYFISH!!! (That was a first and hopefully a last!)

Outta T2 and onto Black Beauty…

The bike course was flat and fast. The run… not so much. It was a bit warmer and a lot hillier.

I finished the day as the 9th female PRO. Considering a mechanical on the bike and losing a little bit of training after my bike crash not a bad result in the end.

Easy Peasy! After the race I dropped my bike off at TriBike Transport and they loaded her onto a truck to bring her safely back to VA.

It felt sooooo great to be back Miami! There really is no place like home.

My view from the plane window as I flew home Sunday after the race. Isn’t Miami beautiful?

Many thanks to: Maverick Multisport, Argon 18, ENVE Composites, Cobb Cycling, Blueseventy, Sugoi, Jaybird, Catlike Helmets, VO2 Multisport, Rotor Bike Components, Occupational Kinetics, Swiftwick Socks, Infinit Nutrition, BSX Insight, and Primal Sport Mud!

Patriot’s Half: Race Recap

Posted on September 17, 2015 by mcroohi

On Saturday September 12th I raced the Patriot’s Half Iron distance triathlon in Williamsburg, VA. Here are a few highlights from the day…

Early morning start… Transition opened at 5:30 and I couldn’t wait to get in!

Setting up my transition area… I had a pretty good spot, but more importantly I had the BEST gear. I stand by my Argon 18, ENVE Composite wheels, Cobb Cycling saddle, and ROTOR Q Rings.

One last bottle of Infinit before the gun went off. (I like how my race number makes my 5Q tattoo look like 55(!) women to Kona.)

On the beach admiring my Blueseventy PZ4TX speed suit.

One last warm up swim complete… Headed to the start line. (I came out of the water in 2nd!)

Getting flagged into T2 in first place in my Catlike helmet aboard my Argon 18 and ENVE Composite wheels. (I had the fastest bike split of the day!)

Starting the 13.1 mile run near the Jamestown Settlement in Williamsburg. (I carry a flask of Napalm by Infinit Nutrition during the run. It helped me to score the fastest run split of the day!)

This is me, excited to be done, but without a lot of energy. (First female and 8th overall)

I was a little tired…

Rocking my Sugoi Maverick jersey on the podium!

Eagleman 70.3: Ouch!

Posted on June 15, 2015 by mcroohi

On Sunday I raced Eagleman 70.3, for the first time in five years or so… As I was running in 95+ degree temps (real feel of 108!) with NO shade I remember why I hadn’t booked a return trip in so long. It was a hot one! Here’s what race day looked like…

Early morning selfie with my best race bud, Jemila!!!

Finally! I got to race with my favorite number! Yay, 37!

You can see my trusty steed parked at the end of what I can only describe as the “kiddie table” rack…

All of the mature pros were parked on a rack behind that group of people on the left. (On the other side of that big pile of dirt.)

All kidding aside, I had a great spot in transition.

About to get in the Choptank River… Loving my Blueseventy speedsuit!

Out of the swim and into T1, looking for Black Beauty.

There she is! All racked up and ready to ride!

Reunited and it feels so good!

LOVE the Eagleman bike course! I met two large turtles along the way and a Canadian Goose who wasn’t too happy with me because I rolled between her and her smallest (and slowest) gosling.

I survived the run with the help of Napalm from Infinit Nutrition. (It saved my life!)

I finished the day in 5th. I felt incredibly honored to share the podium with Jessica Chong (not pictured), Lauren Brandon, Sarah Piampiano (not pictured), Heather Leiggi and Sarah Haskins.

Oh… and Jemila crushed it as per usual. (Superstar!)

Many thanks to all of my amazing sponsors: Maverick Multisport, Argon 18, ENVE Composites, Cobb Cycling, Blueseventy, Sugoi, Jaybird, Catlike Helmets, VO2 Multisport, Rotor Bike Components, Occupational Kinetics, Swiftwick Socks, Infinit Nutrition, BSX Insight, and Primal Sport Mud!!!

Raleigh Rundown

Posted on June 2, 2015 by mcroohi

Ever have one of those days where things just didn’t come together? That was my day on Sunday. It was so bad that at one point while I was on the run I contemplated DNFing. I didn’t. I don’t know why, but I didn’t.

A few hours later as I was driving home from Raleigh, flipping through stations, when I found “This American Life” on NPR. The show’s theme on Sunday? “Game Face”. After a race that I can only describe as disappointing, it was exactly what I needed to hear.

The ultimate “Game Face”. Hockey player Terry Sawchuk wearing fake scars and wounds applied by a make-up artist to simulate all of the injuries he accumulated as a goalie in 16 years of professional hockey. He played WITHOUT a face mask.

The show chronicled three individuals who developed and/or struggled with creating and maintaining a game face and the second vignette really resonated with me. In it, comedienne, Tig Notaro, spoke about a recent gig she had in Las Vegas. Oftentimes when comedians book a show like this, they are the featured act at a particular venue for a week – seven nights with two shows each night. So what does Tig have to do with the “Game Face” theme? Well apparently she bombed in Vegas. Not one show or two shows, but FOURTEEN shows. Every single show – two shows a night for seven nights straight! She got on stage night after night, show after show, in spite of the dearth of laughs and lackluster feedback. She put on her game face and she kept going. But why? Why would anyone do that?!! Because even though the audiences were staring blankly back at her and the venue manager made it clear he would not be offering her another gig, she LOVED doing stand up.

My Game Face

That’s kind of how I felt on Sunday. Even though the stars weren’t aligning, I love triathlon. I’m lucky to be able to compete. I’m lucky to race in these amazing cities. And I’m lucky to have a great community of friends and supporters who make triathlon even more enjoyable. Sunday wasn’t my day, but I’ve got my game face on and I’m ready for more!

Julie Patterson and I in transition on race morning. I was lucky to race with some amazing friends in Raleigh.

Thanks to my incredible sponsors: Maverick Multisport, Argon 18, ENVE Composites, Cobb Cycling, Blueseventy, Sugoi, Jaybird, Catlike Helmets, VO2 Multisport, Rotor Bike Components, Occupational Kinetics, Swiftwick Socks, Infinit Nutrition, BSX Insight, and Primal Sport Mud!!!

New Orleans 70.3 Wrap Up

Posted on April 27, 2015 by mcroohi

On April 19th I competed in New Orleans 70.3. Here is my race report in pictures…

Stop number 1? Bourbon Street! No trip to New Orleans would be complete without it. So many people “hydrating”…

It’s all about the engine! It rained off and on the day before the race so there was plenty of time to check out the Stennis Space Center. Pretty cool stuff!

Signing a poster at the very packed pre-race pro meeting…

Mavericks!!! Fellow Maverick Multisport pros Mike Hermanson and Leslie Smith were also competing in NOLA 70.3

Unloading the car… Storms on Saturday meant the lines to get into transition on Sunday were really really long. (This would eventually cause a delay in the start time.)

My trusty Argon 18 and speedy ENVE 8.9s. It’s hard to make out, but all of the saddles on my rack were Cobb Cycling saddles. Coincidence? I think not.

Prepping my transition area and making sure my Napalm from Infinit Nutrition was ready to go when I got to T2.

Triathlon… Bringing people together! I was really excited to meet Andrew Hayes, another member of Maverick Multisport.

The three Mavs… One last group shot before heading to the swim start.

I was really excited to use my BlueSeventy Helix; luckily the swim was wetsuit legal.

Such a pretty wetsuit… Right? This was my first real swim in the Helix and I was super happy with the fit.

Alligator eyes… Trying to stay on course.

The run back to the transition area was pretty long, so I had plenty of time to strip off the Helix.

And I was off! The bike was a closed course so I don’t have many pictures, but to sum it up I’d use the words “flat” and “WINDY”!

The run course in New Orleans is a long out and back with several bridges to traverse with a stiff headwind coming off the water.

Oh… And NO shade. ABSOLUTELY. No. Shade.

10th place; 4:32

And the best post-race feature? Baby pools filled with ice cold water!!!

Thank you to all of my AMAZING sponsors: Maverick Multisport, Argon 18, ENVE Composites, Cobb Cycling, Blueseventy, Sugoi, Jaybird, Catlike Helmets, VO2 Multisport, Rotor Bike Components, Occupational Kinetics, Swiftwick Socks, Infinit Nutrition, BSX Insight, and Primal Sport Mud! New Orleans 70.3 was a great race and I know the next one will be even better!

Augusta 70.3: Peachy Keen!

Posted on October 3, 2014 by mcroohi

It’s October! School has started and the season is winding down. I was lucky enough to compete in Ironman Augusta 70.3 on September 28th and in an homage to my day job as a Health and Physical Education teacher I have included my race recap below in a back-to-school newsletter format… Enjoy!

I had a blast in Augusta! Thank you Maverick Multisport, Argon 18, ENVE Composites, VO2 Multisport, Rotor Bike Components, Occupational Kinetics, Swiftwick Socks, Cobb Cycling, TYR, Champion Systems, 110% Play Harder, Infinit Nutrition, Primal Sport Mud, Smith Optics, and Vittoria!

IMLOU: I love you!

Posted on August 27, 2014 by mcroohi

On Sunday, August 24th I competed in Ironman Louisville. Below is my recap of the race and a few photos from the epic day!

Ironman Louisville and the days leading up to it were truly amazing. Maverick Multisport, Argon 18, ENVE Composites, VO2 Multisport, Rotor Bike Components, Occupational Kinetics, Swiftwick Socks, Cobb Cycling, TYR, Champion Systems, 110% Play Harder, Infinit Nutrition, Primal Sport Mud, Smith Optics, and Vittoria you are ALL incredible. Thank you for everything. A girl couldn’t get any luckier!

Ironman France: Mapped Out

Posted on July 9, 2014 by mcroohi

On June 29th I competed in Ironman France. Rain, lots of climbing, and scary descents made for an interesting day. I finished in 10:17 as the 10th pro female, besting my previous time on this course by over an hour. Here is my race recap…