Marquee Triathlon - Sprint Course - TriathlonSprint

First OWS triathlon! Am a decent swimmer and really wanted to experience the "washing machine" firsthand. Lined up in the front and on the left. Didn't really get bumped, and 100 meters out the field thinned a bit. Got into a good rhythm and consistent swim, passing a few of the swimmers from the first wave. As I approached the last buoy I took a blow to the head - a guy came out of nowhere and seemed to surface like a submarine and hit me pretty good. I kept going but for some reason he stopped. Rounded the last buoy and sprinted to the steps out of the water. Volunteers pulled me up the steps, wetsuit strippers were super helpful and FAST.

Not swallow so much Tempe Town Lake water.

Down Rio Salado, up McClintock, and out onto McKellips for a nice ride. Was a bit jealous of the OLY and HIM athletes that got to ride the Beeline, but maybe next time. Was my first race on the tri bike and felt good. Stayed aero except to take a drink and a few sharp turns. Had a Vanilla Orange Roctane (those things are delicious) about 15 minutes before run.

My weakest link. Came off the bike feeling good and tried to push it on the run - but I am a slow runner anyway. Should probably think about speedwork or interval training at some point. Otherwise, felt fine until appx. 100 meters from the finish line. Had to make a 180 degree downhill turn and must have taken it awkwardly. Left quad cramped up something fierce, followed by the left hamstring. This put me on the ground. Rubbed my leg a bit, got up, and just muscled through the finish. Felt fine after finishing and stretching, no issues. The spectators cheering me on and encouraging me after I got up were awesome.

Not sure what caused the cramping. I know I was hydrated, and the Roctane had a good bit of electrolytes. Stretched before the race too.

Stretched, had some pretzels and oranges, drank some water and gatorade.


Cramping on the run.


Fantastic race. The organization and number of helpful, encouraging volunteers was awesome. It made my day. The volunteers and Red Rock Co as a whole are total pros. Only two complaints which are minor compared to my great experience - by the time I racked my bike on Saturday they'd run out of medium shirts, and they didn't give out visors this year as swag. Otherwise, this race was tops.