Zoom Multisport 1/3 Iron distance Aquabike ~ 6-21-15

On June 21, 2015, I competed in my first aquabike race at Caesar Creek State Park located in Waynesville, Ohio. Since I had just raced a half iron distance triathlon one week earlier, I decided an aquabike was the way to go this time. 

My husband and I drove up there and arrived on Friday, the 19th. We stayed in the nearby town of Springboro, which was about 10 miles away. On Saturday, we woke up to rain and lots of it. We decided to go to the National Museum of the United States Air Force to stay out of the rain. I had never been and it was really neat to see so many planes and to learn about USAF history. After the museum, we grabbed a quick lunch and then went to the race site for packet pick-up and an athlete briefing. The rain had stopped by the time we arrived so we were able to see the swim area and drive the bike course. We then went back to the hotel and prepared our gear for the race, grabbed dinner and went to bed early. 

On Sunday morning, we arrived on site early since the transition area was first come first serve. The racks were sectioned off by event (aquabike, duathlon, sprint, etc.) The aquabike rack was the first rack inside of transition from the run in end. I was able to get the spot on the end and set up my transition space. Then I was able to watch the sun rise over the lake. 

The swim was a two loop course measured out to be 2000 meters. It was a mass start of all the 1/3 iron distance triathlon, aquabike, aquathon athletes as well as the 2000 and 4000 meter swimmers. The water was 75 degrees so the swim was wetsuit legal. The swim started off very congested and there was a lot of bumping until after the first turn. Once along the long back section, I was able to find my groove and move away from the crowd. The two loops seemed to take forever and by the second loop I was getting pretty warm. I was glad when I made my final turn towards the shore. Once I exited the water, there was a long beach run to a paved path that continued up a hill to the transition. The swim measured long with Garmin showing about 2200 meters. I completed it in 38:41.

Once in transition, I stripped off my wetsuit, put on my helmet, grabbed my bike shoes and my bike and started the run out of transition. Since there was a really long run from transition to the bike mount line, I decided to run barefoot and put my shoes on at the line. I had also decided to race without socks for the first time. I didn't want dirty wet socks for the entire race. My T1 time was 1:32.

The bike course was a two loop course of 17 miles each. The first mile of the ride was uphill as I made my way out of the park. Once out, I rode on a highway for a few miles. They had the right lane closed for the race and cops at every intersection to stop traffic. I felt very safe while on the bike course. I then turned onto country roads that ranged from rolling hills to flat. It was a very nice ride and the road condition was great. The course was well marked so even if I hadn't pre-driven it, I would have had no problems staying on course. I completed the 34 mile ride in 1:48:26.

I decided to try and unbuckle my shoes before I reached the dismount line. I had never tried it before so I was a little nervous but it ended up being easy. I pulled my feet halfway out of my shoes and was able to stop and dismount with no problems. I then ran my bike back to transition in my bare feet. I quickly racked my bike and took my helmet off. I then had to run out of a special aquabike run-out spot to head towards the finish line. I ran in my bare feet since it was such a short distance. My T2 time was 0:35. 

I sprinted across the finish line with a total time of 2:29:15. That was good enough for 3rd place overall and 1st place female. They did not have finisher's medals or place medals. Instead they gave overall winners a TYR mesh backpack, a local running store $15 gift card and a $25 SLS certificate. They also entered all participants in a drawing and I ended up winning a $25 Trisports.com certificate and another $25 SLS certificate. My husband won a $50 Performance Bike gift card. 

It was a fun race and a good experience. I went into it not really knowing what to expect and with very little expectations. I used it as a day to try a few new race techniques. I don't know if I will do more aquabikes but I'll keep my options open.

USAT 2015 Athena and Clydesdale National Championship at the Grand Rapids Triathlon ~ 6-14-15

I was so honored and excited to be attending the 2015 Athena National Championship race again this year. Last year I had raced in the sprint and olympic Athena Championship when it was held in Arkansas. This year, I raced the 70.3 half iron distance and it was being held in conjunction with the Grand Rapids Triathlon in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It was a little further away then I would have liked since we drive to our races. It took 2.5 days to get there but we decided to add in a family road trip so the drive was worth it.

We left Las Vegas on Wednesday, June 10th, and arrived on Friday, June 12th. We stayed at the closest hotel we could to the race location, which was still about 10 minutes away. We booked three nights at the Econo Lodge and Suites on Kraft Ave. It was a great price and the room was laid out nicely.

My friend, who was also from Las Vegas and racing in the Athena Championship, flew in and had arrived earlier in the day. She had shipped her bike from a local Las Vegas bike shop to the supporting bike shop. I went with her to get her bike since my other option was just sitting in the hotel room. It was fun and a nice break from my family (although I love them dearly but being stuck in the car with them for 2.5 days was enough). Then we went to a grocery store to pick up some groceries. We then met up again for dinner at a restaurant between our hotels.

On Saturday morning, I needed to get in a quick last brick before the race. I picked up my friend and we drove to the race location in Ada, MI. We parked along a side street and walked towards the water. The swim portion of the race was in the Thornapple River. It was dammed to resemble a lake at the location that we would be swimming at so the current was expected to be minimal if any. When we arrived we realized that there was no access to the water as the gates were chained. We decided to walk down the street to see if there was any public access. There was not but there were houses that lined the water that did have access. I decided to ask one of the houses if we could go into their backyards and swim from their water access. They agreed. Even though the race was going to be wetsuit legal, the water was warmer then the air and we decided to swim without our wetsuits since we only needed a 10 minute swim. The water was murky and it was difficult to see anything but it was calm and enjoyable.

After our quick swim, we went back to my car for transition and then did a 10 minutes bike ride followed by a 10 minute run. We then drove back to our hotels to clean up. Since this was the Athena National Championship, a group lunch had been set up for those that could attend. My friend and I went and had a great time meeting up with friends from last year as well as making new friends. 

After lunch, we all went to the expo and packet pickup. We had a special room set aside for us to have our weight verified. After it was official, we were handed a USAT National Championship hat and were directed to a special registration table. There we were given our packets which included our swim caps, race numbers, bike and helmet numbers, race shirt, small backpack, and other swag. We then walked around the expo and listened to the athlete talk which helped explain the routes and rules. We then made our way back to the hotel to relax until dinner. We then met with my Las Vegas friend again for dinner at a yummy bar-b-que joint. Once back at the hotel, I got all my gear ready for the morning.

I woke up at 4:45 AM with an expected leave time of 5:30 AM. My wave began at 7:10 AM so this would allow enough time to arrive and get transition set up. I was sad to see that it was raining and the weather called for 100% chance of rain for the entire race time. I made my breakfast and drank my UCAN, got dressed, applied sunscreen and then it was time to go. We ended up arriving at the athlete drop-off location at about 6:00 AM. With it raining so hard, my husband decided to take my boys back to the hotel for the day so they could stay dry (don't worry, they are old enough to be left alone). 

My friend and I then made our way towards the transition area that was about 0.5-1.0 mile away. We stopped while on a covered bridge to air up our tires. With everything being so wet, this ended up being a really good idea. After that, we continued to transition and set up our gear. By the time we arrived, the racks were pretty full so space was limited. I then had my friend do my body marking. By the time we got to my leg, the marker was so wet it would no longer write. I overheard others saying that the body markers were having the same issue. We realized that we should have done that while on the bridge too. My friend ended up not having any numbers written on her due to the wetness. 

The transition area closed at 6:45 AM, so we made our way to the staging area. As we were walking there, we finally met back up with my husband. I was worried that he would miss the start of the race since he had to take the boys to the hotel, drive back and park and then take a trolley to the race area. He was able to take a few pictures of us and give me some words of encouragement. He told me to be safe but to race "just this side of recklessness". 

We then got in our race corral and waited for our wave to start. When the 7:05 AM wave started, they told us to enter the water and wait for the air horn. 

When the horn sounded, I started towards the left of the pack with only a few people around me. The swim was one loop of a long triangle. I was unable to see others around me in the water due to it's murkiness. Since I am a good sighter, I was able to locate other swimmers before I got to them. The beginning was congested but quickly cleared out which allowed me to get into a nice rhythm. I felt good on the swim and had no real surprises. I began to catch men from the previous two waves which is always a nice feeling. As I approached the exit boat ramp, the course entered into a bottleneck which caused a lot of congestion. This caused more contact then I like but it was manageable. At the edge of the ramp, a volunteer was standing there to help you stand up which was nice. I completed the 1.2 mile swim in 36:19.

As I exited the water, I saw where the wetsuit strippers were and ran over to the biggest guy I saw and told him to "yank it off, big guy!" He had my wetsuit off in one second, if that. I then stood up and continued my run to transition. As I passed by other athletes waiting to start, I heard someone yell "Go, Sarah!" I can assume that it was a fellow Athena and it made me smile. My husband was standing near my transition so that helped me spot my location. It looked like I was the first person from my rack out of the water because all of the bikes were still there. I quickly put my socks and bike shoes on and grabbed my helmet. I decided to race without my gloves to save a few more seconds in transition. I unracked my bike and ran out of transition. I completed T1 in 2:48. 

The bike course was an out and back. I had driven the bike course the day before so I was a little familiar with the route. This allowed me to be aware of turns, curves, and uneven sections. I think it is a valuable tool to have if you have enough time to drive the course ahead of time. The rain started to pick up so I had to be aware of my speed on any corners or curves and my braking time due to the wetness. I had a pain in my left groin for the first 10-15 miles of the ride but it eventually worked it's way out and allowed me to really hammer the ride. There were two sections of hills on the course, one on the way out and one on the way back. I really tried to attack those hills. At the one hour mark, I was at 19 miles. At the 28 mile turn around, I was at 1:29. This information told me that I could make a sub 3:00 ride if I continued to push it. After the turn around, I drank my premixed bottle of UCAN. On the way back, I hit a few potholes due to joining in with the sprint and olympic traffic causing more crowds and less visibility. I prayed for no flats and it worked. I found myself stuck behind people at different sections of the ride and would self-motivate to pass them by telling myself to not become complacent. I saw my husband just before the final turn back into transition. He told me to watch my speed because he had seen a few mishaps there. I hit the dismount line and stopped my Garmin and saw that it showed 2:52. I was shocked! I finished the 56 mile ride in 2:52:39.

I ran into transition and once again realized that I was the first one from my rack back since I was the only bike there. I took my helmet off, grabbed my visor and glasses, and changed my shoes. I stuck two Gatorade Chew packs into my back pocket and then started running out. I realized that I didn't need my sunglasses so I stuck them in my back pocket as well. I completed T2 in 3:01.

The run was a two loop course. The rain was still coming down but I was fine with it now since I knew it would keep the temperatures down on the run. I started out a little faster than I wanted to so I had to force myself to slow down. My left calf started to tighten up almost right away. It wasn't cramping but felt like it could at any minute. At the 15 minute mark of the run, I ate one pack of Gatorade Chews. The tightness was gone within a few minutes. I was able to hold a pace between 10:30-10:45. There were a few big hills on each loop that weren't fun but I just put my head down and pushed up them. As I was approaching the turn around I saw my husband. He told me that I was at a 4:40 and that I was crushing the course. I was really surprised to hear that number. My only other half iron distance I had done was in March 2015 and I finished it in 6:34. My goal for this race had been to finish in 6:15. With that new information from my husband, I knew that I was going to make that goal and that a 6:00 might even be possible if I could hold my pace. I ate my second Gatorade Chew at the 1:15 mark. I saw my husband again at mile 7 and he told me that my friend was about 6 minutes behind me. I knew that I was not going to be able to hold her off since she is a faster runner then me. I did the math and thought that she would pass me at about mile 10. I was correct and at mile 10, I was able to give her a high 5 and cheer her on as she passed me. I picked up the pace for the final 2 miles and my last mile was a 10:15. I then sprinted in the final 0.1 mile. I crossed the finish line when the ticker showed 6:03. I completed the 13.1 mile run in 2:18:40. 

As soon as I crossed the finish line, I was handed a finisher's medal and a finisher's visor. I then saw my friend and we hugged. She was so excited! She had just found out that she won 1st place overall Athena in the 70.3. She told me that I was only a few minutes behind her. I made my way to the exit and found my husband. He gave me a big hug and told me that he was so proud of me. He affirmed what I suspected, that I had finished sub 6:00. He took my sweaty visor off and put the finisher's visor on my head and told me to go check my times. I walked over to the timing table and had him pull my number up and saw that I finished in 5:53:29! That time was good enough for 2nd place overall Athena in the 70.3 and 1st place in the 40-54 year old division. I went back and told my husband and friend that and we shared more hugs. 

We then went into the transition area and started to pack up our gear. When that was done, we went over to the awards area and received our 1st place plaques from the Grand Rapids Triathlon and a 2015 National Champion jersey from USAT. The rain began to clear up which allowed us to get a few pictures with our newest bling. Then we grabbed our bikes and walked back to the athlete pick up area and loaded up. 

1st place Athena 40-54 division in the 70.3

1st and 2nd place overall Athena 70.3 champions

My husband who is my biggest fan, Sherpa, supporter and sponsor.

This race started out under crummy conditions but ended up being great! I gave it all I had and couldn't have raced any harder. I am so glad that we decided to make the long road trip so I could be a part of this National Championship. I will now have my name in a little piece of history in the Athena triathlete world and couldn't be prouder. 

Sand Hollow Olympic Triathlon ~ 5-30-15

On May 30th, I raced in the Sand Hollow Olympic Triathlon in Sand Hollow State Park. It is located just outside of St. George, Utah which is about two hours from our house. The race was put on my BBSC. They always put on a great event and I happily race most of their races. 

We stayed in a hotel the night before so we could pick up the race packets on Friday night and be close to the race. We always stay at the Holiday Inn Express in Washington, Utah. It is only a few minutes from the park entrance. 

I arrived at transition at 6:30 AM and my wave was scheduled to start at 7:15 AM. I prefer to arrive earlier than that but my morning didn't run as smoothly as planned. So I didn't have a lot of time to roam around to find friends. I quickly unloaded the car and got my gear set up in transition. My assigned bike rack was almost full but I was able to find a spot by asking a few people to scoot their stuff over a bit. After I was all set up, I found my husband and then my boys. My husband was racing the duathlon and my boys were spectating. 

At about 7:05 AM I made my way to the boat ramp and got in line with my fellow purple caps (40+ females, all athena, and all relays). After the 7:10 AM wave started, we were able to cross the timing mat and walking down the dock. We then were told to jump in the water to prepare for the floating start. I gathered near a few of my friends for a few words of encouragement. Then there was a short countdown from 5 and we were off. 

The swim was a long skinny rectangle. The first section had us swimming directly into the sun. It was impossible to see the buoys. I just hoped that I was going the right way. After many minutes of uncertainty, I finally swam to the final buoy and made the left turn. From there I was able to see where I was going. I quickly was at the other turn buoy and made the final left turn to begin my long, straight swim back to the boat ramp. I could see the buoys and was making my way towards them when I noticed a large group of swimmers on my left. Either they were off course or I was. Then I had a paddle boarder cut right in front of me. I popped up and he said to continue towards the buoys. He was making his way to the rouge pack to round them up so it appears that I was the one going the right way. I felt like I was swimming well and continued until my hands touched the bottom and I stood up. I hit the ground running and quickly took my cap and goggles off and unzipped my wetsuit. I then ran up the boat ramp to the transition area and crossed the timing mat. My 1500 meter swim time was 28:09.

Transition went pretty smooth. I finished getting my wetsuit off and then sat down to dry my feet off. The only small issue I had was that I packed socks that were a bit tight so trying to get them on wet feet was tricky. After that wrestling match, I put my bike shoes and helmet on. I picked up my bike gloves to put on but decided to go without them at the last minute. I dropped them and grabbed my bike. I dashed to the bike out and crossed the timing mat. My T1 time was 2:31.

The bike portion starts with a nice downhill section which allowed me a few seconds to catch my breath. It then makes a left hand turn and has a small flat section. Then it begins to climb at about the one mile mark. I had a small problem with my chain as I switch to an easier gear. It locked up and wouldn't move. I had to get off my bike and mess with the pedals. Luckily, it was a quick fix and I was back on my bike after only a few seconds. The climb culminated with a long 6% hill affectionately called "The Beast". I have done this hill two times before so I knew what to expect. I just put my head down and climbed. Once we crested that hill we were greeted with a nice downhill to the sprint course turnaround. I had only done that distance before so everything past that point was new to me.  

The road condition deteriorated and it became difficult to hold a fast pace. It was a nice flat section at least. We turned onto another country road that had a slight climb to it until the turnaround point. After that, I pushed it. Near the top of "The Beast" I saw my husband working his way up the hill. I said a quick hello and then flew down the hill.

I don't know how fast I got but it was really fun! I ended up biking 20.4 miles in 1:12:23.

Once back in transition, I racked my bike, took off my helmet and changed my shoes. I grabbed my visor and sunglasses and made my way out of transition with a time of 1:33.

The run followed the same route as the bike so there was a nice downhill section right out of transition. After the left hand turn there was a nice flat section. I had grabbed a disposable water bottle from my bike and ran with it for the first mile until we were at the first aid station. It was a great way to catch up on my hydration while running. Once there I threw the bottle away and kept running. After the aid station there was a good hill. I focused on attacking it and not slowing my pace. The route turned left at the top of the hill. I then began a slight decline until the turn around tent. I had passed all the aid stations until my way back up the long, slight hill. I grabbed one small cup at each aid station. It was just enough to cool me down. I felt like I was running well and was actually passing people which rarely happens. I topped the hill and made the right turn to head down the good hill. I tried to let it go and gather some speed. I don't know if it actually does anything but I at least try. I pushed hard on the flat and then made the final right hand turn to run the half mile to the finish line. The final quarter mile is uphill and never fun. My husband and one of my sons were at the bottom of the hill and cheered me on with encouragement. I hit the hill and gave it what I had left. I ran the 6.2 miles in 1:02:55. 

After I crossed the finish line, I met up with my husband and we checked our times. I completed the race in 2:47:33.

I placed first in the Athena division of women 40 and over, 17/72 for women and 84/203 overall. I feel like this was a really good race. I finish under my goal of three hours. 

It was a perfect day for a race. The temperatures stayed lower than expected and there were no winds. I will be returning in September to run this course again. I look forward to seeing if I can do even better than this race.

Badass Dash ~ 5-23-2015

On May 23, 2015, I raced in the Badass Dash. It was located at the South Point Hotel, Casino, and Spa. The Badass Dash was a 7K run with 45 obstacles located inside and outside the arena. I had a group of friends that had formed a team and asked me to join so of course I said "YES"!

I carpooled to the event with two other teammates. I opted to do packet pick-up that morning so we arrived a little early to do that. Luckily, there was no line so it was a very quick process. After that, we grabbed some food and ran our gear back to the car. We then met up with the rest of our team and made our way to the start line. We were scheduled for the 9:00 AM wave but realized that there was no regulation of who was in what wave. So we ended up standing in the start corral for about 45-60 minutes. When it was our turn, we toed the line and waited for the countdown. At the buzzer we were off!

It was a lot of fun! The obstacles ranged from really easy to really hard. If you had to skip an obstacle or could not complete an obstacle, you were to do 15 burpees in it's place. There were only three obstacles that I had to do burpees at. One was a station where I was to do 5 pull-ups...yeah, not going to happen. Another was a rope climb to the ceiling of the arena.....I could only see injury happening with that one. Finally, a long section of monkey bars. I thought that I might be able to do that one but it was the final obstacle and right next to the start corral so there was a large audience. I decided to just do the burpees instead.

There were two injuries with two teammates (a bruised butt and a pulled muscle in the groin area). I ended up with lots of bruises, some big, but all in all feeling good. I was really proud that I was able to complete the course with very little cross-training. Running the race with friends is definitely the way to run one of these races. We had a great time!

My official finishing time was 1:45:34. That placed me overall 1223, division place 1220/2601 and sex place 577/1468.

Xterra 10K Trail Run ~ Lake Las Vegas ~ 4-26-15

I did something new today. I raced in the Xterra 10K Trail Race at Lake Las Vegas. Don't get me wrong, I've run on trail many times but have only raced one other time and it was a 5K. There was a Groupon that made the race only $20 so I figured "Why not!" 

They offered morning of packet pick-up which was great since it allowed us to just go early in the morning versus twice. We arrived at about 7:30 a.m. and made our way to the vendor expo to get my swag bag and race bib. They had the lines divided up for 5K, 10K, and 21K so the line moved fairly quickly. After checking in and getting my stuff, we walked over to the port-a-potties. They had about ten of them lining the street so there was no wait. 

We saw a few friends who had set up in the parking lot so we went over and hung out there until closer to race time. They had a great set up for tailgating with corn hole, chairs, donuts, drinks and hot dogs. At about 8:05 a.m., I made my way over for one more potty stop and then went to the start line. There were three starting times, one for each race, and our group had several racers in each wave. My wave was set to start at 8:35 a.m.

After the 21K wave went, I gave my husband a kiss and headed to the starting line. There were no timing chips so the race would start at gun time. Knowing that, I made sure I was near the front of the group. They started each wave with a cannon shot. They gave a short 5 second countdown and then "BOOM!"

We started the run on a golf course but quickly made a right hand turn up a hill to get back to the paved road. 

The first half mile was up a hill on a paved road. After that, we made our way to a dirt road. It had a gradual incline that led to a few rollers. Then the trail turned into some massive climbs. I had heard about these hills and they were not exaggerating when they described them. I pushed up the hills as fast as I could (which wasn't very fast). I then tried to let it loose on the back side to make up some time. The downhills seemed to be rockier. They were steep too. I could feel my teeth jarring with each forceful stride down. By the third or fourth big hill, I realized that I could power walk up these hills as fast as I was running up them and would expend a lot less energy. I switched to that tactic and it seemed to help. I made sure I ran on all flats and downhills. 

The course had four aid stations. I was running with a hydration belt so I didn't need to stop but they appeared to be well stocked with water, Gatorade, and gels. The course offered no shade so the sun was really intense. They had recommended running with water and I understood why. Even with the four aid stations, hydration was needed more than that. 

At about 3.5 miles, we began to flatten out and run in a canyon on a wash. The footing became more difficult since it was deep gravel. I tried to scout out the more packed paths and stick to them. The scenery was beautiful in this area though. Just after the four mile mark, we had another big climb (my last walk) and then turned onto a single track trail that followed the lake shore. It was like we had jumped to another state! It was lush and green with cattails and trees. Up until then, we had been in typical desert landscape which kind of resembled running on the moon. This single track was flat and hard packed so I was finally able to run with some speed. I passed a few people and focused on my cadence. My feet started to hurt at about this point as well. During this time, I made the decision to retire the shoes I had one. This would be their last race. 

Finally, just after the 6 mile mark, we made our way back to the paved road. I opened it up as much as I could. We hit a small hill but were rewarded with a nice downhill leading to the finishing area. I pushed as hard as I could. At the bottom of the hill, we made a sharp right hand turn. We had one more hill to push up and then turned back onto the golf course. Once on there, we had a short sprint to the finish line. 

My official finishing time was 1:20:49 and my Garmin showed 6.9 miles. They had warned us that the courses were longer than advertised so I was prepared to see those numbers. I placed 6/10 in my age group, 32/93 for females, and 93/183 overall. They did not give out medals and I was bummed to find that out.

I was greeted by my husband just after the finish line. We walked around for a few minutes, grabbed some post-race snacks and picked up my official time slip. We then walked over to our friends who were happily tailgating. 

This was a difficult race but I am happy with my results. My pace broke down to 11:42 per mile which is really good for me on a trail run. I probably will not do this race again but for $20, it was a good race. 

Next up....The Badass Dash 7K obstacle race.

Rage Triathlon - Sprint distance - 4-18-15

I raced the Rage Triathlon, sprint distance, on 4-18-15. It was put on by BBSC Endurance Sports at Lake Mead National Recreation Area. They offered a sprint, olympic, and half distance at this race. I have raced in several races by BBSC and really enjoy them. They always have great medals and shirts. Their races are well supported and run without any glitches. For more information on some of their races, check them out at: http://www.bbsctri.com/

Packet pick-up was available on Thursday and Friday night at a local bike shop in Henderson, NV. I drove down to pick mine up on Friday night after dinner. The process was simple and smooth. There were several of my friends working as volunteers at packet pick-up so it was nice to chat with some friendly faces while I was there. I then headed home to pack my transition bag and get all my gear together for our early morning the next day.

My husband, Wes, was volunteering as kayak support for the swim and needed to be there by 6:00 a.m. It takes us about an hour to get to the lake so we left our house at 5:00 a.m. We arrived just before 6:00 a.m. and said our goodbyes as he headed towards the water. I loaded up my gear bag, bike and bike pump and headed towards transition. I quickly found an area for my bike. They do not assign exact spots but instead have even bikes on one side and odd on the other. Then they assign a few racks for groups of about 20 bikes at a time. So as long as you are within those numbers, you find whichever spot you'd like. I unloaded my transition bag and placed my gear in the order I'd be using them. I then began walking around the transition area chatting with my several friends that were also racing. 

My wave was scheduled to start at 7:40 a.m. At about 7:10 a.m., I went back up to my gear to put my wetsuit on and to grab my swim cap and goggles. I finally made my way to the water at about 7:30 a.m. I had just enough time to get in the water and meet up with a few friends before they said it was time to enter the swim chute. I made my way towards the front of the pack as we entered the water. I ended up being near the middle in the front which is where I usually like to start. The Race Director gave a quick explanation of the swim route and after a short countdown, we were off.

The swim was 750 meters and a rectangle type shape. We swam straight out from the beach and turned at the first large orange buoy. We were swimming towards the sun so it was difficult to see but there was a sailboat positioned directly in line with the buoy so it made sighting very easy. The start of the swim was congested as always but by about 100 yards, the pack had thinned out. I fell into a comfortable pace and did my thing. Swimming comes fairly easy for me and I do not suffer from any open water anxiety. As I turned to make the back straight-away before the turn back to the beach, I began to pass people from the previous waves. This happens at most of my races and I always take it as a good sign that I'm swimming well. After the final turn, I set my eyes on the arch and headed in. Once my hands started to hit the ground, I stood up and started jogging through the water towards shore. I always take my swim cap and goggles off first then get my wetsuit unzipped and pulled down to my waist before I exit the water. That allows me to hit the ground running. There is bit of a jog from the waters edge to the timing mat and the entrance into transition. To help the feet during that time, they laid down a carpet over the gravel until we met the concrete. Swim time was 14:26.

My bike was about halfway up the hill in transition. It seemed like it took forever to get to it. Once there, I worked my wetsuit off and hung it on the bike rack. I then sat down so I could dry my feet and put my socks and shoes on. I then stood up, grabbed my race belt and clipped it on, put my sunglasses on and finally put my helmet on. I then got my bike and started running up the final part of transition. Once outside the timing mat, I waved to some friends, mounted my bike and headed up the hill. T1 was 3:53.

The bike was a 12.4 miles out and back ride along Lakeshore Drive. It is a nice combination of hills, some small and some big. The turnaround was at an overlook parking lot that offered a bathroom if needed. Shortly after the turnaround, we encountered the biggest hill of the ride. It is long and about a 6% grade. Near the top of the hill, there was an aid station. Once the beach was in sight again, I knew I was almost there. After a final left hand turn off of the main road, I began the fast, fun downhill back to transition. Bike was 44:48.

I pulled into transition, passed some cheering friends, unclipped and ran for what seemed like ever to my rack. I took my helmet and bike shoes off after I racked my bike. I then had to get my shoes on. I hadn't switched my laces over to quick laces so I had to tie them. That took a few more seconds then I liked but it had to be done. I then grabbed my hat and handheld water bottle and headed to the run out of transition. I dropped my bottle as I was putting my hat on so I had to turn around for that but it was worth it. I made my to the run start and passed some friends that were cheering for me. T2 was 2:33.

The run course is a hard 5K. The first mile is trail and uphill. It's not just trail, it's loose gravel that is deep in some spots. It is not fun. After the first mile, I turned onto a paved road that was pretty flat. I tried to pick my pace up at this point to make up for the crummy performance I had on the first mile. There was a run aid station just after that turn as well. Since I was carrying my own water, I didn't need to stop at it. As I neared the turnaround, I saw my run coach on the side of the road. He cheered me on and let me know that I was almost at the turn. I made the turn and knew I was within 1.5 miles to the finish. I was hurting but it would be over in about 15 minutes. I once again passed my coach who threw out some words of encouragement. I turned onto the trail again and was able to continue my pace since it was downhill. At the final turn, I was about 3/4 of a mile to the finish. The trail was flat but filled with big rocks and gravel. My eyes had to stay glued to the ground so I wouldn't trip and twist an ankle. I wanted to speed up my pace but it wasn't possible. In fact, it slowed down some. When I was about 1/4 of a mile out, I sucked it up and pushed with all that I had left. I passed some of my cheering friends, focused on the finish line, and pushed until the end. Run was 32:43. 

Overall, I am pleased with my performance. I had raced it last year but did the olympic course so I didn't have splits to compare this year's too. My overall time was 1:38:25. I ended up placing 1st out of 6 in the Athena 40 and over category. 

After the race, we went over to a friend's house for brunch. It was great to relax and laugh as we talked about our races. There are so many aspects about this sport that I love. One of them is the amount of amazing friends that I have made along the way. They all get it and I am so blessed to have them in my life. 

Next up, Xterra 10K Trail Race at Lake Las Vegas on April 26th.