So Hot...But So Successful!

Yesterday was the BIG Des Moines, Hy-Vee, World Cup Triathlon. With a start time of 1:30pm, we weren't expecting anything but brutal HEAT and HUMIDITY...and that's exactly what we got (with a little extra 25mph winds thrown in)!
Almost 50 women were on the start line...and less than 30 made it all the way to the finish line. The most exciting news is...I was one of the finishers! Usually, when a race story involves heat, I'm telling you where and when I had a mid-race meld-down. Not this time...I ruled the swim, took my pulls in the 8 women lead pack on the bike, and made it through 4 hilly run loops around the city.
My sincere thanks go out to the race committee and race director (Bill) for recognizing how important cold water and ice was going to be during the run and making sure that we had enough to stay below boiling. I might have only drunk a few ounces of water during the run, but I poured about 5 gallons over my head and into my suit!
I finished in 17th place (fastest swim time, third to last run time:) and earned some more of those important Olympic, World Cup and ITU points. My USA teammates had performances all over the spectrum...most importantly was Laura Bennett's domination of the run for the race WIN!
Yes, you read that correctly, we had the stars and strips flying, the National Anthem playing, and an American on the top of the podium! Congratulations Laura...you are amazing!
Also in the 'amazing' category is Sarah Haskins-Korteum who raced her way to a 4th place finish!
My family was also in Des Moines to watch me compete...and it was great to hear my mom, dad, and brother on the sidelines cheering for me...thanks McLarty family! We celebrated Father's Day after the race at a nice restaurant and then spent some time together on Monday morning by hitting 9 holes of golf. Apparently, my family is taking up golf...news to me...I just went along with the adventure and swung at the little white ball. Sometimes it went where I was aiming, and sometimes I missed the ball completely!