Kokopelli Olympic Triathlon at Sand Hollow State Park ~ 9/12/15

On September 12th, I raced in the olympic distance at the Kokopelli Triathlon. It was held in Sand Hollow State Park in Hurricane, Utah. We drove up on Friday night in order to pick up our race packets. It was held at the Hurricane Community Center from 3:00-8:00 PM. We were able to get there at about 7:00 PM and packet pick-up was quick and easy. We then stopped at a local cafe, Triple TJ's Cafe, for a good dinner. After dinner we went to our regular hotel for races at Sand Hollow, Holiday Inn Express in Washington, Utah. There wasn't much time for relaxation because it was almost 9:00 PM by this time. I took a quick shower and got my gear ready for the morning.

We woke up at 5:15 AM to get ready. We stopped by the hotel breakfast room at 5:45 AM and were glad to see that they had set breakfast out a little early for us. Transition opened at 6:00 AM and we arrived at 6:30 AM. My wave was scheduled to start at 7:15 AM. My husband was racing the duathlon and his wave started at 8:00 AM.

I quickly set up my transition space and was then able to socialize with some of my friends who were also racing. I made my way to the swim start at 7:00 AM. They were running a little behind schedule because they had to start the kid's race later than planned due to the sun not being up yet. Finally, at about 7:25 AM, my wave was directed to enter the water.

Me with my husband and youngest son before the race.

Me with some of my good friends from the Las Vegas Triathlon Club.

The swim start is a floating start so we walked down a pier and jumped in the water. The sun was still tucked behind the hills which was a good thing since we were swimming straight towards it. After a few last minute instructions, we were off. I started towards the front and was quickly out of the main pack. With the sun not in my eyes, I was able to sight easily and stay on course. The swim course is a long rectangle. By the time I was about to make my first left hand turn, the sun made it's way over the hills. I felt like I was swimming well and began to pass people from the previous two waves. That is always a good feeling. At the final stretch of the swim, I started to merge with the sprint waves so it became a bit more congested. I finally reached the boat ramp and was able to run out of the water. There is a bit of a climb from the water's edge to transitions but it is on concrete and some of it is carpeted so I was able to go without my flip flops. My 1500 meter swim was done in 31:22.

I ran into transition and made my way to my bike. I was towards the back near the bike exit which is where I prefer, less distance to run in your bike shoes. I was in and out in 2:06.

The bike course starts out with a nice downhill which gives me time to clip in and get adjusted before I need to start powering. It also let's me find my legs. Once at the bottom of the hill, we make a sharp left hand turn and begin a slight climb. At about the 1 mile mark, there is a small, steep hill. It is tough but short so that is good. At the top of the hill, there is another left hand turn. Then you remain straight for several miles. At about mile 4, "The Beast" begins. It is a 1 mile climb of about 500 feet. It is a killer. I have to just put my head down and grind it out. At the top of the hill, after you thank the good Lord you made it, you begin a downhill section. At the bottom of the hill is a right hand turn. This next section is about 2 miles and flat. The road condition isn't the best but I was able to pick up some nice speed. Then there is another right hand turn and then you begin a slight climb until the turn around. This is an out and back course so you retrace your route back to the transition area. There is one aid station that you pass on the return ride at about mile 14.5. I always grab a water bottle and put it in my seat bottle holder to drink later on the run. The back side of "The Beast" is not as steep so the climb is no problem. Then you get to fly down the front of the hill. I get going FAST! There is a cattle guard near the bottom of the hill so I slow down to go over that. There is a hill to end the bike course on which is no fun. I powered up it and was able to finish the 20.4 mile bike in 1:13:02.

I ran into transition, racked my bike, changed my shoes, took my helmet off and put on my visor, grabbed my sunglasses and water bottle and headed out on the run. T2 was 1:48.

The run is my hardest thing but I focus on keeping a decent pace. I sipped on my water for most of the run. This lets me skip the aid stations and continue to stay hydrated for the whole run. The run is mostly on a separate course. Only the very beginning and end run on the same road as the bike but they are separated by cones and a rope so there should be no accidental collisions. The run goes along the water's edge. There is a downhill out of transition and then a short uphill to get onto the run course. Once there, the run stays mainly flat with minor up and downs. There are three aid stations, one every mile. It was also an out and back so once you pass the last aid station, you turn around and start heading back. At about mile 4, I finished my water and finally threw my bottle away. At the final aid station, I grabbed a small cup of water and poured it over my head. One of the volunteers also threw a cup of water on me. I then made the final push up the hill to the finish. I pushed with all I had left and tried to sprint out the final stretch. I finished the 6.2 mile run in 1:01:33.

I finished the entire race in 2:49:53. This was good enough for 1st place Athena overall. It was a great day for a race and I had a lot of fun. There were many friends from the Las Vegas Triathlon Club racing and it is always fun to have cheering throughout the race from fellow racers.