Heather Jackson Debrief - Wildflower Triathlon Winner

Want to know exactly what it feels like to win a triathlon? Herbalife-sponsored Heather Jackson tells all about the Wildflower Tri on her blog: HeatherJacksonRacing.com. We definitely recommend reading the full account – you’ll almost feel you’re racing with the star herself.  

Here’s a quick teaser:

Pre Race:

“Leading into Wildflower, I was pretty nervous. I felt ready and had had a great block of training after Oceanside, but you never know what can go wrong! Maybe a flat, or a cramp….the heat was projected to be pretty bad, which can turn a race completely around if you don’t mind your nutrition. So all of these things were going through my head all week.“

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Dive in:

“I had been keeping my fingers crossed all night that the water temps would drop, but they didn’t. So, race morning the pros were told it was a non-wetsuit swim. This doesn’t help me. Haha. Oh well. I pulled on my Zootsuit swimskin and Aquasphere goggles, did a quick warm-up, and got ready to go. The guys went off and we had 5 minutes to wait. It felt like forever. That is the absolute worst part of the day. Waiting… waiting…Finally, 10 seconds…5 seconds…then the horn. We were off!“

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Pedal power:

“Okay, only one more girl in front… I kept drinking my Herbalife24 Prolong out of my Speedfil. The straw was right in my face reminding me to drink…drink… I made it over the bridge that signifies Nasty Grade is just up the road. I thought that maybe I’d catch sight of the leader climbing ahead. Nope. Okay, don’t panic. I reached the hills and started climbing. This is where I could make up some time…or so I thought!“

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Sprint finish:

“I made my way down the long hill at mile 9 or so and made the turn to head back up it. Miles10-12 are pretty much one long, grinding, gradual uphill. I had done this over and over again in my training. Finally back up it and I knew the final mile was just the horribly steep downhill towards the lake. I was feeling the heat and I was starting to get a side stitch. Just hold it together for a few more minutes! I made it down and into the finish chute. I was soooo happy!!!!!“

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