Keep it up!

Congratulations on getting 2nd place on Saturday!

Here are the results

Hope you are enjoying the scenery post-race!

Awesome job Amanda!

“Dr. Amanda Stevens (USA) was first out of the water in 26:14…” Continue…

Amazing time of  1:51:16 !!

Check out the article here!

Last weekend saw the first fully stacked field of the season at the St. Anthony’s Triathlon in St. Petersburg, Florida. St. Anthony’s has always had one of the deepest and strongest fields in the sport–the group toeing the line this year turned out to be the most internationally acclaimed in the race’s 30-year history. Joining me on the starting line last Sunday included two Olympic medalists, 12 Olympians, world champions, and countless international stars of short course racing.

When the gun went off in Tampa Bay, 55 men took to the choppy, wavy water in what described by a few long time veterans described as the worst conditions they’d ever experienced. I had a fantastic start, tucked into a weird pocket behind a fast group, only after about 400 meters did the group implode and end up fighting for the next 300 or so meters. Once we turned away from the shore, the rolling waves really started gaining in size and frequency. Each wave sent us skyward, only to come crashing down, a few feet underwater into the wave following it. I alternated between being airborne with no water to stroke, and being deep under a wave, unable to bring an arm above my head to begin the next stroke. Without much ability to sight, the group I was with became completely fragmented with people swimming off in different directions. For the rest of the swim, we all went into survival mode, hoping to salvage the race once on the bike.

Getting out of the water, I had figured I was near the back of the field due to the horrible last 800 meters of the swim, though I quickly realized I was near the middle of the field in a fairly good position! My goal for this race was to totally hammer the bike, not worrying about the run, and see if I had anything to work with at the end. As the miles wore on, I had a few very strong cyclists pass me, but instead of losing time, I was able to stay with them, end even re-pass. More and more athletes started coming back to me–at first just the strong swimmers in way over their heads, but then some truly good racers (National Champion Matt Chrabot, Ben Collins, among others). It’s rare that I pass these guys on the bike, so I kept pushing forward, into the real “meat” of the field.

Off the bike, I knew I had rode very hard, but also made a good amount of time into the podium group. Just ahead I saw a huge pack of strong guys running together. I had spent a ton of energy on the bike, but I decided to just focus on a solid pace with good form, and not go nuts just because there were so many guys just in reach. Fearing a fast early pace would lead to an explosion later, I remained patient and set out to get the guys in front of me one by one. With each passing mile, I began passing strong ITU guys, followed by top non-draft guys, then Olympians–I had run myself into the strongest top ten finish of my career and there were still more in reach! With one mile to go, I made the decision to go all out and see who else I could bring back. One after another, I passed guys I had seen on magazine covers and podium shots, and with a couple hundred meters to go, I made my final effort. Just before the final turn to the finish line, I dug a bit deeper and barely caught one of the strongest draft-legal talents in the field, Cam Dye! Based on my momentum, I almost caught one more, but ran out of room (and gas!) at the finish line.

I had successfully raced my way into 6th place in one of the strongest fields I’ve ever competed against in non-draft racing–my best performance to date!

Once the dust had cleared, only an Olympic gold medalist, an Olympic bronze medalist, and three Olympians finished ahead of me, leaving a pile of other Olympians, 70.3, Ironman, and non-draft champions behind me. I posted the second fastest run of the day, a top bike split (and PR in 54:58), an overall PR (1:48.17), and managed to come out of the water with a few top ITU guys. I finished only about a minute off the winner (Olympic gold medalist Jan Frodeno) and 45 seconds off the podium. The race was so tight and the field was so deep that everyone in the top 13 was under 1:50 (the race only even paid to top ten!!).

I am extremely proud of this weekend’s result because it not only validates the finishes I had at the end of last year, but also shows that I have made huge improvements over the off-season. Not only can I post fast splits, but my race showed that I can put it all together, even in the face of a staggeringly deep field. At the same time, the front of the race is achingly close, and I won’t be completely satisfied until I’m in the race for the win. If anything, my performance has given me an itch to train even harder, look at the details even closer, and push forwards to the next level I know I have in me.

As I write this, I am en route to Rev3 Knoxville for my second race in consecutive weekends. The field looks to be strong and freshly rested, as most did not race in St. Anthony’s on Sunday. I’m excited for a very different group and a very, very different course than last week, but I have recovered well and am hungry for another shot against some of the best in the sport!

Thanks, as always, to my incredible group of sponsors, friends, and family. This year has brought a few changes, and without the unrelenting support of the team behind me, I would never be able to train and race as often–or as hard–as I do. Knowing I have such a great group behind me makes it possible to push through the bad days and move ahead with breakthrough performances like last weekend’s.

Thanks,

Chris

See the RESULTS!

Check out the RESULTS!