The Rev 3 experience is one that everyone must endure in their triathlon life! Charlie and his team know how to execute a first class race that is family-friendly, comfortable, fun, festive and challenging (course wise) all in one. It’s not often that you are able to directly text back and forth with the series founder and the race director and have your questions and needs answered within minutes. Thank you Charlie, Eric, Ashley, Mary, Stu, Greg and the Rev 3 team for all your constant support to EVERYONE in order to make our Rev 3 experiences so memorable.
It was great to be on the start line of Rev 3 Portland especially since I have such fond memories of the inaugural race last year. The progression into THIS year’s Rev 3 Portland race vs. LAST year could not of been more opposite. Last year, I came into the race having just left my full time job at RBC Capital Markets for which I then proceeded (shoot!) to have back to back DNF’s at both Ironman St. George and Ironman Coeur D’Alene with drastic sodium issues that I have since learned from entirely. Thus, FEELING back to myself in this race last year and coming out on top was so rewarding and I couldn’t of been more thankful.
This year, I REALLY wanted to come back to Portland again for the amazing race experience and also visit our close friends from growing up (THANK YOU KUSMIN FAMILY!!). I had made a promise to Charlie that I would be there thus there was no way I was going back on my word and again, the Rev 3 experience is not one to pass up! The good news this year was that I was coming off of a much better go at IMSG + IMCDA with IMCDA being about 2 weeks beforehand.
Matt thankfully allowed this back to back racing situation to happen knowing that Vineman 70.3 (a hometown favorite of ours here in the Bay) was one week after Rev 3 Portland. We devised a solid plan to make sure that we were recovering properly, marinating the long distance racing but still moving, fine-tuning and then going into the dirty double halfs with as much “legs” as we could muster.
I was extremely excited and pumped going to the race. There was a field of first class women (and men!) and I knew the competition was very deep and fierce! The swim in Blue Lake was pretty mellow—I had some massive sighting issues in the sun on the way out thus was zig-zagging a bit so I’m sure Becky and Lauren were like WHAT THE HECK is going on here—sorry ladies! Once we made the turn, I could see much better but regardless of that, the swim was about 4 minutes longer than normal—but all good.
The bike was a toughy and really technical (for me!). I have never seen so many twists and turns, 13% +++ long climbs, switchbacks and gnarly descents. Very cool. The stagger rule kills me since I’m just not used to it but at the same time it does make us AWARE of our surroundings AT ALL TIMES. Angela passed me I believe around mile 20—IN AERO POSITION NO LESS (um, amazing!) up a 11% grade climb. I looked like a wounded animal, she looked like she was time trailing on flat terrain–super impressive—I have never seen anyone cycle so strong! I could not match her astonishing pace and ended up coming into T2 about 1:45 down.
I enjoy the run course in this race and although it doesn’t have any massive hills or craziness, it is ‘mental’ in that after we do a quick 4ish mile out and back section, there is one straight—HOT–highway road stretch that we saunter on for a solid 4.5 miles out and then back to the finish. Therefore, you are able to see the competition at two separate turnarounds at mile 2 and mile 8.5. I could see Angela at the first turnaround—at the time gaining maybe 20 seconds on her—but that was short lived! Since we ran similar ½ mary times (hers being 25 seconds faster however)—there was no catching little (BUT SO STONG!) half pint and she ended up gaining time with a 2:10 margin of victory and I will take 2nd to her any day–Congratulations Angela!
One of many AMAZING things that the Rev 3 series does is promoting our sport via pre and post video race recaps. They DO THE BEST JOB in helping us highlight our sponsors and for that we are so grateful.
You can check a few of those out here:
POST RACE RECAP VIDEO:
http://vimeo.com/45422868
POST RACE INTERVIEW:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iio6BELSm2Y
Congratulations to all who raced this fabulous Rev 3 race in Portland and I hope that you have already entered yourself in another one!
To the podium ladies—Angela, Lauren, Becky, Nicole, Malaika, Ems, Madeleine, Charisa and Kelly—massive congrats and so great to get to race with you all!
Special congrats to Richie on his win as well as fellow purplepatcher—Jesse Thomas on his 2nd place finish. If you want to read a hilarious blog that tops this one (clearly) for sure—check out Jesse’s here:
http://leapdaysports.com/2012/07/12/2012-rev3-portland-race-report/
Thanks so much for the support and for reading!
Love,
MBK