A Pre-Race Interview With Rachel Joyce

Tonight, on the eve of a very tough race, Rachel Joyce sat down to write out a brief pre-race observation for TRS Triathlon. Most competetive athletes shy away from any distractions in those crucial days and hours before a race. But Rachel, true to her reputation as one of the most personable and likeble pro thriathletes out there, took the time from her busy schedule to give us some insight into the Ironman 70.3 North American Pro Championship at St. George Utah.

“I spectated this race last year so I have some idea of the course.  Three words:  Spectacular, Tough, and Fair.  After taking a wrong turn during Brasilia 70.3 this feels like my season opener.  My prep has mostly been focused on IMTX in 2 weeks but I feel like I’ve had a solid block and am ready to put in a good performance tomorrow

Tactically I think it’s important to keep in mind that Snow Canyon (the biggest climb during the bike course) comes in the second half so keep something in the pocket for that. And the run too is tough – so it’s definitely not going to be over till it’s over  – so I’ll be making sure I don’t take my foot off the gas till the finish line.

I’m really impressed with the field the race directors have put together.  It will live up to its title as a championship race.  I am also thankful to the race directors for listening to the pro-women’s concerns and creating more of a buffer back to the AG field by starting the pro-men 5 minutes earlier than billed.  Good stuff!”

TRS Triathlon thanks Rachel for this exclusive look at what is going to be a great race.  The pro field is stacked, almost Kona-like, so there is sure to be some epic race strategy and exciting moments in this beautiful venue.  And of course, the staff at TRS Triathlon wishes Rachel the best of luck in her race.

We’ll be following along and will post an exclusive TRS Triathlon Race Report immediately after the podium finishers are in.  Stay tuned!

Here’s a peek at the Pro Starting list.  Rachel is in there with the top Pro Women with bib number 52.

Rachel and her new puppy Maggie

Rachel and her new puppy Maggie

About the Author

Randy Cantu
Up until Randy Cantu got this sweet gig writing for TRS Triathlon his greatest claim to fame was that he has read more blogs written by Ray Maker of DCRainmaker.com than anyone else in the universe. You see, Randy is Ray's long time editor (and occasionally writes for DCRainmaker.com). So with that pedigree he had no where to go but sideways, here to TRS Triathlon. Randy splits his time between Augusta GA and Boulder CO, an odd combination, but sports writing is an odd business anyway. In real life Randy is an actual certified Project Manager for a software company, which pays the bills, but his heart is in the world of endurance sports. So that's why he also does quirky things like make drone videos of endurance sports events, and as soon as the FAA gets off his ass he hopes to turn that into a full time business. You can find out more about Randy at randycantu.com. Follow him on twitter: @cantucan.