The Bay Islands ITU Triathlon in Roatan, Honduras (results) was my first race of the 2004 season and while I was really looking forward to racing again, I was quite nervous going into this race. I was feeling slightly unprepared for the race because I found out in January that my iron levels were too low. In order to get my iron levels back up I had to cut back on my training for over a month. By race day on March 6, my energy was back to normal but I had no idea how well I would feel when I actually had to push hard in a race. Needless to say, I was eager to get out there and see what I could do.

I arrived in Roatan two days before the race. The trip there was quite an adventure as I had to fly from Atlanta to Miami, Miami to San Pedro and then San Pedro to Roatan. The plane that I flew on from San Pedro to Roatan looked like it was about 60 years old (I did not even know that planes came in a square, box like shape), so I was extremely relieved when I arrived in Roatan safely.

I spent the day before the race doing some light training and checking out the course. I quickly realized that it was going to be one of the, if not the most, challenging course I have ever done or probably ever will do. The bike had some of the longest and steepest hills I have ever been on. While I knew that the uphills would be difficult, I was actually more concerned about the steep downhills that had gravel along the sides of the corners. I just tried to remain positive and keep focussed on the race.

I awoke race day to a very sunny, hot and windy day. I was pleased with how calm I felt race morning. I actually got my stuff set up in transition and my warm up done with plenty of time to make it to the start of the race. I usually feel like I am in a huge rush to get down to the water, but this time I was early.

The swim was absolutely beautiful! It was a one loop course in the Caribbean. The water was so clear that you could see every fish that swam beneath you and you could also see some gorgeous coral on the bottom as well. Apparently, the island is a popular scuba diving place. I had a difficult time seeing the bouys (they were pretty far apart) and ended up going off course a bit with two other girls. I did not have a great swim, but I was not too concerned about it because I actually felt strong in the water.

I made it to my bike and immediately started climbing. I have to admit that there were times when the hills got so steep that I actually thought I might fall off my bike. Fortunately, I managed to stay up on my bike on the hills. However, I did not ride very well on the downhill and lost a good bit of time as a result of my cautiousness.

I was a little frustrated with the bike as I had to work by myself for a good portion of the bike. At the beginning, I was having a great time working together with a nice girl named Kerry from Scotland. We were taking turns pulling and it appeared as if we were making up time on a couple of the girls in front of us. However, Kerry unfortunately got a flat tire and I was once again on my own. The entire bike was a bit chaotic as the guys and the age groupers were on the course at the same time, so people were all over the place! I did the best I could biking by myself. There was a lot of wind and I could tell that I was struggling on my own.

I was very relieved to get to the run! The run was a great two loop course that combined road, trails and the beach. Despite the heat, I actually felt pretty good on the run! By the end of the run, I had moved into 7th place.

While it certainly was far from a great race for me ( I made some mistakes on the swim and the bike) , overall I was pleased. I got my first race under my belt and I survived a very challenging course in the heat. I also managed to dip under the time percentage and get some valuable ITU points. I learned a lot from the race and I had a great time. I enjoyed competing against all the other girls as well. Everyone was very encouraging to each other and it reminded me how much I enjoy the camaraderie in the sport! Overall the Bay Islands Triathlon was a positive experience for me.

Now on to Acapulco!