Desert Half Iron - Triathlon1/2 Ironman

Rank was 67/146 women. I don't have data on overall or age group rankings for individual events.

Pick a faster swimmer to draft behind and change to match a more direct line on the course. Swim faster as I was really not trying hard at all.

This was the first time I've raced where there were wetsuit strippers. Honestly, I think it lost me time, but I wanted to experience everything and have fun. And it was!

I dogged it in this transition (and didn't really care) because I made a potty stop in order to bring my HR down and be comfortable on the bike up Richter's Pass. I didn't have to wait in line.

Also, I took a lot of time applying sunscreen because I am white and prone to burning. I even stopped to let the sunscreen volunteers polish up the job.

Get a really solid water-proof sunscreen and apply to body ahead of the swim and just applying sunscreen to my face after the swim. I'll probably always need to go to the bathroom. Again, I really wasn't worrying on my first half iron distance.

Make sure my Garmin was set to bike function. Spent precious seconds on this, too.

Rank 63/146 women. Okay, this bike was hard. Really hard, but not impossible. I had a really good time and had to fight the impulse to charge up Richter's Pass at the beginning. I did pass a few people and kept a comfortable pace. I noticed that my road bike would have a been better for a faster cadence because the gear size is different, but my tri bike was lighter.

There was a nasty headwind just down from Richter's that really picked up into Cawston, which provided a fantastic tailwind on the way back! The hills were loads of fun going down. People who don't have to bike in the flat prairie all the time don't know how lucky they are. The ride was scenic and more fun than I've had biking in a while.

Amusingly enough, I was slogging (and mashing a bit because I'd run out of gears) up this steep incline near the end that I thought was the second last hill, so I was saving energy for the last push. Well, that was the last push! I got to the top of Richter's thinking I had one more hard hill and thought: "That was it?!?!" This provided immense amusement post-race for the gentleman who loaned me his watch. :) I really should have known that that was it because I felt like my butt was going to fall off.

The ride down Richter's was great and I tucked and let 'er rip, but I'm too light and one heavier guy passed me.

Do more that 1 hill workout and more that 2 90+KM workouts before the race.

Again, I was dogging it a bit here and added some sunscreen to my face. Glad I put on the running socks as my feet were blister-free.

I did forget to take off my bike shorts!

Run the bike in faster.

Rank 83/146 women. My goal was to run 10KM without walking breaks (except a couple of steps at aid stations), and I made it to 16KM before I took my first of 3 walking breaks. The last kilometre I finished running at a fast pace (for me).

Take off my bike shorts for the run!!!

Lose weight and increase my quality run workouts.

Ate watermelon and stood in the lake with a fellow who was using me as a pace bunny!

The massage at the race lunch was awesome!! The sophomore student that worked on me was pleasant and skilled. My piriformes muscles, quads, and calves felt 100% better post-massage.


Not knowing whether I could finish. Taking it easy, so that I could enjoy the process. Holding back in order to assure finishing and using this race as a measuring tool rather than a hard-core race situation.


It's hard to give an excellent rating to this race because I haven't been to other half iron distance races.

Negatives: the buoy/swim caps colour thing alluded to above. I would have liked a better fitting ball cap in my race package. i.e. not too much negative!

Positives: Everything else. The post-race give away/door prize was masterfully done!

Really enjoyed the athletes I met. Some nods to some cool Terrace and Victoria, B.C., and New Zealand dwellers. The Sask athletes were fantastic, too.