London WTS Race Report

June 2, 2014 gwen jorgensen

I came to London excited to race. But, I may have been even more excited for the dinner one of my sponsors, Mark Holowesko, planned for Patrick and me. Patrick and I met Mark for the first time last year at a race Mark hosted in the Bahamas. We quickly learned that the Holowesko family loves good food and wine, so when Mark asked if we wanted to have dinner on him, we knew we would be in for a treat! On the Thursday night before the race, Patrick and I were greeted by Mark’s friend, Paulo De Tarso with champagne at Bar Boulud. As the night progressed, our taste buds jumped with excitement and our stomachs grew beyond full. Patrick enjoyed fine wine, while I had to stop our head sommelier, Oliver Brandenburg, from filling my glass because I knew I had a big race in two days. Bar Boulud is known for their wines, and every night they have a different gigantic house wine. On Thursday, the wine bottle was 18 liters! We may not have had any wine from the 18 liter bottle, but we did thoroughly enjoy watching the waiters try to pour from the enormous bottle. This was my fourth time to London, and by far the best meal I’ve had in London (if you go to London, you must try the BB burger at Bar Boulud – it is simply out of this world!). Patrick and I left the restaurant feeling fortunate for the many opportunities triathlon brings. This was one night we will never forget.

Fast forward two days, and I was standing on the start line ready for the first sprint distance WTS of the season (750m swim, 20km bike, 5km run). Sprint distances are hard and fast. It is imperative to remain focused. There is no time for mistakes.

When the gun sounded, I dove into the water knowing I needed to have a good start. After about 50m, I noticed someone (Oliveira) starting to form a gap on me. I put in a surge to get on her feet. I was struggling to stay in her draft, but I remained focused. As we rounded the first buoy, I knew I was in good position and needed to continue to fight. The entire swim I struggled to stay near the front, concentrating on my swim technique and stroke rate. From the fast paced swim, I knew the rest of the race was going to be speedy!

I exited the water in fifth, and ran to my bike with intent. I was disappointed in my transition as I lost a few places, but I was able to stay in the front pack of 11 on the bike. As our front group started to form, girls were working hard, but it didn’t seem very organized. I tried to help as much as I could, but I wasn’t able to do as much work as I had wanted. My body was suffering but I pushed on, knowing the chase packs had us in their sights. I was happy and thankful to the girls in our group who were working on the bike. We entered T2 with a gap on the rest of the field, which was a great setup for the run. What was even better was having three Americans in that front swim/bike pack! USA is competitive and ready for the ITU world!

I dismounted my Specialized Amira and put on my Noosa Fast shoes to start the 5km run. I still did not feel great, but knew I had to continue to focus on the process and push the run. We had solid runners in our pack, and more were coming from the chase packs. I ignored all signals from my mind that my body wanted to stop and sit on the side of the road. Instead, I pushed on, looking for the finish tape. I was beyond thrilled to break the tape and see fellow compatriot Sarah Groff come across second. It was a great day for team USA!

Thank you to my family, friends, supporters, sponsors, Jamie, ‘Gong Wizards, Patrick, fans, and Heather. Your continued support means the world to me. I hope you were able to celebrate as I couldn’t have won without you. I want to give a special shout out to Amelia for keeping my body in order, Mark for the fabulous dinner, Gavin for the Special(ized) cheers, Rob for express shipping the ROKA suits to London, Jamie for his patience and time, USAT for their support, and of course Patrick for looking after me so well. I am truly blessed.

The past few weeks have included a lot of travel and racing, which means I haven’t done a ton of training (instead, it’s been more maintenance work). I am back in Vitoria, ready and excited for a solid block of training before heading to Chicago for the next WTS stop. I can’t tell you how excited I am to see my family and friends in Chicago – lots of hugs and kisses will be waiting!

Race Results can be found here: http://www.triathlon.org/results/result/2014_itu_world_triathlon_london/264326

Smile says it all :) Thanks everyone. And thank you Specialized for all the awesome photos!

Patrick at Bar Boulud with the big bottles of wine

Using swim bands to warm up. Water temp was about 16 degrees Celsius

Getting ready for the second leg of the triathlon

Yokohama WTS Race Report

May 20, 2014 gwen jorgensen

“I love rice!” might be some of the strangest post-race interview words I’ve spoken. I always struggle with post-race interviews. I’m not good with interviews to start with, then add in my drained body (both physically and mentally) and you get an “I love rice” answer to a question about why I love Yokohama that was never asked.

I really do love Yokohama, but the reasons why are more plentiful than rice. Yokohama WTS won my heart in 2012. The ITU and Local Organizing Committee (LOC) set the standard in Yokohama: the event is well run, thoroughly thought out, organized, and the city is incredibly invested in the event. Fans line the roads in both rain (2013) and sunshine (2014), the quality of the roads are impeccable, the city is ready for the athletes and there are posters everywhere showcasing the ITU event. We are also welcomed and sent off by the Mayor and others with a delicious Japanese meal (with lots of rice). The LOC makes the race easy, so we as athletes can focus on racing. I was also fortunate to have Patrick, Jamie, USAT, and the ASICS and Specialized teams in Yokohama for additional support, making pre- and post-race a synch.

After two disappointing WTS races, I was eager to race again and put together a solid swim, bike, and run. I knew what to expect from the Yokohama course as this was my third time racing here. In 2012, I came into T2 in the front pack, but ended up eighth on the day with the eighth fastest run. The bike course in Yokohama looks fairly easy on paper, but if you don’t ride in a good position, it can hurt your legs on the run. I knew, from the previous two years, that I needed to be in a good position on the bike in order to execute on the run.

When the gun went off, I focused on my swim technique and getting to the first buoy as quickly as possible. There was fighting around the buoys, but I managed to exit the 1500m swim in 13th place. As I exited the water, I knew I had to be aware and alert. I saw key players in front of me and took advantage of the long run to T1 to gain some time. I ended up coming out of T1 in third and had a brief moment of shock, before I regained focus for the bike. In the early stages of the bike, there was a group of about 14 girls; however, we were not working well together and we ended up coming into T2 with about 45 girls. My position wasn’t great, but I managed to get to my shoes safely and start the run with the leaders in sight. The sun was out and it was hot. I wasn’t used to the heat, so I tried to keep my body temperature down by taking water at the aid stations. I ran with the leaders for a lap or two, before I was able to make a break and cross the finish line first.

I am happy to have come away with the win in Yokohama. It felt amazing to execute in the swim and bike after the hard work we have been putting in this year. The rest of the season will be a challenge. We are now in Vitoria (Basque region) where we will base training for the remainder of the season. I’m so looking forward to the riding, my Specialized Globe, Salburua runs, tortillas, inexpensive cafes and more.

Thank you for all the messages and support. I’m so grateful for the win and am ready to continue to work. You will find me racing next in London on May 31st.

Video recap with article can be found here: http://www.triathlon.org/news/article/2014_itu_world_triathlon_yokohama_elite_womens_review

A great feeling to come across the finish line first!

Patrick and me refueling with some sushi and the ASICS crew post-race — Patrick and me refueling with some sushi and the ASICS crew post-race

It's no David Hobbs Honda Odyssey, but it's still a pretty awesome vehicle!

The ginormous rice cooker at breakfast. I literally ate rice for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Cape Town WTS Race Report

April 30, 2014 gwen jorgensen

On Easter Sunday, Patrick and I flew from Sydney to Cape Town. It was our first time in South Africa. We spent a few days training in Stellenbosch before heading to Cape Town for round two of the World Triathlon Series (WTS). I was excited to race and hungry to improve from my result in Auckland.

We knew the water temperature would be cold in Cape Town; however, I wasn’t expecting to hear 11.6 degrees Celsius (52 Fahrenheit) when they announced the water temperature on race morning. The medical and technical officials decided to reduce the swim from 1500m to 750m because of the cold temperatures. Going into the race, I wanted a full 1500m; however once I heard the temperature of the water, I wasn’t complaining about the reduction of time I’d be in the frigid Ocean. After the 750m swim, we excited the water to complete an eight-lap 40km bike course, followed by a four-lap 10km run course.

The gun went off a little after 3pm local time on Saturday, April 26. Diving into the Ocean was a shock to the system. I don’t remember much of the swim, but I exited the water in about 15th place and transitioned onto the bike. A front pack of about ten got away on the bike and I was in the chase pack when a crash occurred. I managed to avoid the crash, but I was then off the back of the group and riding solo between the chase and the second chase pack. I fought hard to stay in the race as I know the race isn’t over until you cross the finish line. I was caught by the second chase pack and a little over half way through the 40km bike course, our pack merged with the first chase pack forming one large chase group. The front pack of girls worked very hard on the bike, and they came into T2 over two minutes ahead of our group. I struggled to put my shoes on in T2 as my feet were still numb from the cold water. Once I exited T2, I tried to execute a good run and didn’t think about the time gap to the athletes in front of me. My legs felt heavy and slow, but I know feelings don’t have to dictate outcomes.

I didn’t make up much time on the leaders until there was about three kilometers left in the race. By the fourth and final lap, I could see the podium up the road. I had no time to think. I put my head down and pushed as we ran into a headwind. I caught 3rd place and had my sights set on 2nd and 1st, however Jodie and Helen finished strong and I crossed the finish line about 30 seconds back. Finishing 3rd with a podium is great, but I did not complete all three disciplines to perfection. I still have some refining to do and I look forward to a race where I am able to execute in the swim, bike, run, and transitions.

South Africa was a great place to visit. Usually when I travel to a race we don’t have much time to be a tourist; however, we had a few more days to enjoy the city this trip. Patrick and I enjoyed some local food recommendations (thanks, Liezel and Libby): bobotie, raw crocodile, braaivleis, ostrich, springbok, wines, chocolates, and more. We were spoiled when it came to food and I loved everything we ate. We also went on a safari that Gavin and Siobhan recommended. We saw the ‘big five’ (elephant, rhino, leopard, lion, and buffalo) and thoroughly enjoyed the drive to and throughout the safari. I learned a little about the lives of locals, saw many beautiful sights, and overall had a wonderful trip.

I want to give a special thank you to the Specialized crew (Gavin, Bobby, JB, Dylan, and more) for showing us such a good time and for making sure we had everything we needed. Thank you to all my sponsors, fans, family, and training and support crews. I look forward to continuing to refine myself into a complete triathlete and I feel blessed to have so much support throughout my journey. Thank you as well for all the birthday wishes – I am very grateful for another year!

I am now back in Wollongong, Australia, where I will spend the next couple weeks before heading to Yokohama, Japan, for round three of the WTS.