The LA Tri course in San Dimas is not the easiest of courses. Sure you get to swim in a calm Puddingstone Lake, however the bike is very undulating over some rough pavement in spots with a sharp off camber uphill turn after crossing the dam. The run is not flat, it’s challenging with a number of short hard climbs.
Pre-riding the course with Gabby was critical so she could get a feel for what gear to be in and when, as well as strategizing when to take in nutrition. Although Gabby is an advance swimmer and runner, she has only been riding a bike less than a year and this would be her toughest bike test yet. During the pre-ride she did fall over on the off camber uphill due to being in the wrong gear so lesson learned.
With race starting in a slight drizzle, Gabby got off to a good start in the swim and had a bike split that beat this coaches expectations. Now for the run her strength. Although her run split was a little slower than I anticipated (probably due to exceeding my bike goal split) she finished strong for a first place finish in her AG!
I’ve had the privilege of coaching Gabby for almost a year now and I continue to be impressed by her work ethic and toughness. She is an emotional rock that never lets anything get her too low or too high and has a maturity beyond her years. I’m looking forward to new PR’s this upcoming cross-country season!