Team Member: Hannah Meadows

Race Name: Junior Triathlon Festival- Youth Elite Nationals

Race Date: August 14, 2010

Race Placement/Time/Qualification: 22nd OA/ 37:51

Tell us about your race (limit 500 words)…: As many of you all know, I had the great opportunity to go to San Diego for the largest Junior Nationals the U.S. has had so far. Thanks to all of this team’s incredible motivation and generosity, I was ready to go with an awesome Scott road bike (thanks to the Adamsons) and some hard training under my belt with the help of Holly and my “training family”- the Marshalls. We arrived Thursday morning it was a cool 69 degrees…(you are probably wanting to go to San Diego right now don’t you?)On Saturday after going to all of the mandatory meetings the day before and swimming, biking, and running the course, we were all ready to go. The female youth elites had our race at 10:35 and all 45+ of us athletes stood shoulder to shoulder on the pontoon above the 66 degree ocean water. I knew I would have the disadvantage on the swim since most of the athletes are year-round swimmers as well. I tried to stay up, but had some trouble sighting and got pulled off the course a bit. I was 11th out of the water, only 35 seconds behind the front pack. I got to transition and had some trouble getting out of my wetsuit. I got off on my bike, rounded the first turn trying to catch up then an athlete ran into the back of my wheel and we both fell over. I was completely pulled off, but tried to do as much as I could to make up the time. I knew that I could not do anything else except catch as many athletes on the run. I finished with a one of the top 10 fastest run splits, but it was only enough to place 22nd. There were so many things about this race that I wish I could have changed or done differently, but in the end, ITU racing is a whole new ball game and I suppose the best way to learn from them is to get all the bad things out of the way in the beginning. Like many of the times when we have a bad race, we all want to ask why or how come, but the best thing to do is pick up where we left off and get going again whether it will award you a championship or a lesson that you can use in the future. I am extremely happy that I had the chance to even experience such an amazing event. It shows just how far USAT has come and gives me great excitement knowing that they are investing so much interest in us young athletes. And even though it was not a great race, at least I know that it will not be my last and that is one thing to be happy about! To share this passion with so many others, I definitely feel blessed.