In her first triathlon in over 3 years, and the first Half Ironman of her career, Alisha showed she’s a triple threat, finishing the Duke Liver Center Half Ironman in an impressive 4:42:30, good enough for second place, just 1:26 behind Kristin Price. The race was a grueling event, starting with a 1.2 mile swim through Lake Jordan, a few miles southwest of Raleigh, followed by a windy 56 mile bike ride, and finishing with a punishing 13.1 mile run through the New Hope Overlook Park.
Alisha paced herself well in order to ensure a strong finishing run, the leg of the race that can make or break an athlete. Having concentrated her training on the bike and run, Alisha came out of the water over 5 minutes behind the top Elite Women. She gave a strong and steady effort on the bike, reeling in all but three of the women, and started the half marathon 3 minutes behind the leading group. Her steady bike pacing paid off, as Alisha easily made up the 3 minute deficit within the first few miles of the race, and by the halfway mark of the run Alisha was the race leader.
Former NCAA 10k National Champion and multiple NC State XC and Track All-American Kristin Price was hot on Alisha’s heels, however, and overtook her by in the run by mile 9. The two ran together and pushed eachother to the finish. Alisha finished just under 1.5 minutes behind Kristin, but almost 7.5 minutes ahead of 3rd place finisher, Stacey Richardson.
Alisha was pleased with her overall effort and has learned a lot from her first endurance triathlon as she prepares for bigger and harder races next season. She will waste no time getting back to competition, however, with both the Asheville Half Marathon and the Bridge To Bridge Century bike ride coming up next weekend. Alisha will also compete in the Big Lick Triathlon in Roanoke, VA and the Wilmington YMCA Triathlon by the end of September.
- 1.2mi Swim - 35:29 (15th)
- 56mi Bike - 2:34:40 (3rd)
- 13.1mi Run - 1:30:15 (3rd)
- Overall - 4:42:30 (2nd)