Bridget Campbell Elite Triathlete of the Lowcountry

Another great weekend in Tuscaloosa. The morning was nice and cool as we arrived at transition. The sun had not even started to come up yet, so large flood lights illuminated the area. After making sure my bike and everything was how I wanted it placed, I went out on an easy shake-out run to wake my body up and clear my mind. Transition closed at 7 but my wave isn’t until 7:54. This allowed me plenty of time for a last minute pit stop and some stretching with my sister.

I’m was fortunate again to have my family, and close friends in town supporting the race. The swim passed by much smoother than the previous year. There seemed to be more participants than last year so the start was a bit of a cluster. However by the first buoy the kicking and clawing had spread out and I was moving along.

The bike course was what I remembered from 2009. It took half of the first loop to feel smooth, but once I got going I kept focus on a good cadence and working the hills.

Finally to my favorite part – the run! After a quick T2, I’m was off and running : ) I focused on being steady, yet strong the first 4 miles. The temperature had really increased since the start and I didn’t want to use it all at the start. As I began catching athletes, I quickly checked their leg to see if they are in my division. Once I hit the 4 mile mark I began to pick it up and push hard for the finish.

My finish time for the day was 2:17:40 – which puts me 13th in my age group, and 37th overall. I qualified for Worlds again! To finish off a great weekend, I watched the elite women race and went out for pizza and football with friends and family. Another successful nationals in the books!