Race Coverage

Holy Balls, Batman!

Wednesday, 02 July 2014 00:10

"I need more cowbell, baby!"

By Gaby Bunten

BOUS Race Report- When I received the e-mail for an invitation to compete at Best of the US for Iowa, I was overcome by a phrase that my dear old dad has coined, “Holy Balls Batman.” I knew that the competition at the race would be stacked with a field of talented ladies and gents.  My initial anxiety for the race happened with that e-mail. It became a battle of am I worthy of competing with such a field and what would I bring to the table at this race? Well, of course I immediately consulted the best coach ever, Miss CY. She gave me one of the most positive vibes I have ever received from a coach, and for that thank you CY! But I was able to go into the race with a new frame of mind, the only thing I needed to accomplish that day was to push myself harder than I have ever before and when all else fails, just smile.

The night before the race, my dad had texted me, “Rock on tomorrow. Mom and I are bringing Hells Bells (our two springer spaniel puppies) and our cowbell, gotta have more cowbell, baby!” Leave it ...

to my dad to put a smile on my face, just before setting that lovely 5 AM alarm, UGH! But when it came to race morning I was up and ready to go. Kris and I jammed all the way to Lake Phalen with an abundance of “tuneage,” electric-dance-music “tuneage” that is.

After a toasty two hours of setting up, warming up and slipping into the wetsuit, it was time to start the race. Right away I made my way to the front of the pack and settled into the groove, keeping a conservative pace so I could DIG deep on the bike. My goal was to stay with the two leaders and keep it steady. We went a little wide on one of the buoys, but eventually made our way to the swim exit, into transition and off on the bike.  The final split for the swim was a 16:37.

As soon as I hopped on the bike, I felt confident with a solid position on the swim and immediately caught a female competitor who got ahead of me in transition. But holy crow… Leaving transition was BUMPY! I was gripping my aero bars in hope that I wouldn’t eat it or most importantly flat. As I was out on the first lap, I was able to hold a lead position, which was a HUGE confidence booster. Unfortunately, I got passed just after the turn around onto the second lap, but I knew I was still in it with a decent separation between ladies.  Every time I would return for the next lap, the first thing I heard was cowbell! My dad never kids when it comes to the cowbell. The  cheers from the crowd boosted my vibe each time I looped around. When I finished the third lap I was just behind the one and only Nicole Heininger. That girl can bike! The bike was just a tad shy of full 40 K with a split of 1:07.

I headed out on the run and settled into a quick cadence and relaxed into steady pace.  The run course was flat? I use a question mark, because it felt fast but there were steep speed bumps along the way that would throw your legs for a loop. My first lap felt steady and smooth, hearing my Sherpa, Kris Spoth running alongside me at point. As I passed the crowd onto the second lap I gave a big smile, for the warm vibes and loud cheers. Out on the second lap, my steady pace began to slow. My legs were screaming,  “WHY?!” At that point I was thinking, drinking that bottle of Finishers wine and sitting under a tree sounded like a better idea. That was when Lisa (Leonard) and Suzie (Fox) snuck up on me. I knew I had to pick up the pace and ignore the pain for just a little bit longer, as the finish line was just ahead. I crossed at 2:08:54 or an equivalent of 2:12.

When I look back on the race experience at Best of the US, I can honestly say that my best effort was put forward. I was able to push myself harder than I have ever before with a field of motivating ladies and I’m honored to say I competed along side with every single one of them.  I’m looking forward to keeping the progress train rolling with my upcoming races at Lifetime Minneapolis, Chisago Sprint, USAT Age-Group Nationals and Lifetime Maple Grove. But would that have been possible without more cowbell? Absolutely not! Gotta have more cowbell, baby.