Just one week after a bike crash at the Des Moines World Cup left her with a broken elbow, Groff was not only back competing, but had a career-best finish.

She traveled north to Alberta, Canada to compete in the final race of the North American leg of the 2007 Triathlon World Cup series on June 24 in Edmonton.

``Going into the Edmonton World Cup, I was a bit nervous as to how my arm would bother me in the swim but I was very optimistic that I would be okay,’’ Groff said. ``In retrospect, I don’t know why I was so confident, as I could barely swim or ride without pain. With as much treatment as my arm could withstand, I went into the race knowing that I would just have to accept any discomfort and keep as focused on the race as possible.’’

Groff, who grew up in Cooperstown and now lives in Colorado, and teammate Sara McLarty were first out of the water after the 1500-meter swim and led the women out onto the 40-kilometer bike course.

``I started out the swim harder than I ever have before and was surprised to find myself alone with Sara McLarty at the first turn buoy,’’ she said. ``Over the second lap, my effort caught up with my arm and I had to back off the pace.’’

The American duo couldn’t keep up with the run pace and hopes for a medal soon vanished.

``Going into the run, my legs were cramping a bit but I knew that I had to keep a good pace to avoid getting caught,’’ Groff said. ``I focused on myself, holding a solid pace and before I knew it, I had crossed the line in 5th place and with a big grin on my face. While I feel that I could have run faster, I couldn’t be more delighted with my race. Without a doubt, this experience was true testament to the power of positive thinking.’’

Groff crashed into a pedestrian the week before in Des Moines while cycling, and broke her elbow. She said her orthopedic surgeon told her she couldn’t make the injury any worse while competing as long as she could stand the pain.

`` Despite how angry my elbow is with me right now, however, I don’t regret my decision to race in the least,’’ she said. ``Racing was certainly worth the pain.’’

Groff will race in the ITU World Championships in Hamburg, Germany on Aug. 29, and the Beijing World Cup on Sept. 16. Groff’s ultimate goal is to qualify for the 2008 Olympics, which will be held in Beijing.