Iron Girl Lake Las Vegas - TriathlonOlympic

We finally got the "On your mark, get set, AFLAC" and waded in. The water was very choppy but I settled into the rhythm of it tossing me around. Stayed with the pack until the end. I could see the exit and must have smiled big because I took in a gush of unexpected water. Ugh, choking, can't breathe, panic. But only for 1 or 2 seconds. I pulled it together very quickly and calmed myself down until I could breathe halfway normal again. Then sprinted to the swim exit. I was so ready to be out of the water. I took my wetsuit off just a few yards out of the water because it was a long trek to transition.

Long. Uphill. I never saw the timing mat. TriDivas put on an excellent transition clinic the day before the race. This could be better but I'm sure it was faster than it might have been without those last minute tips.

Hills for the first 10 miles. We were out on some godforsaken desert trail with nary a soul around and it was ugly. Steep climbs and nasty winds. Several gals ended up walking their bikes on two of the inclines. I was able to stay in the saddle but only because I had a granny ring. One gal thought she would ride off the saddle and the wind swept her bike right out from under her. I was oh so thankful for the wind and hill training I've been doing the last few months. I felt strong and confident here. The last half of the course was through busy neighborhoods and highways. Lots of debris on the side of the road. Cops and volunteers on nearly every corner (in town) stopping traffic so we could ride through. Cars were backed up forever along the road where we turned back into the resort. I was just thankful no one gave me the royal finger as I passed by!

Just need to work on this so I can be faster.

This was not pretty. Period. When I think of the run course I picture camels walking through the desert searching for water. There was an undeveloped area where a construction crew had grated a roadway for their vehicles. It was loose dirt, rocks, and gravel. The owners of the resort property filed bankruptcy in January and construction stopped. The run course was on this grated roadway through the brown hills where there will someday be a hotel or billion dollar residences. It was difficult to build up speed because you were either climbing or trying not to slide down. There was no vegetation. Not one tree. You could see nothing for miles around except dirt. The wind was still blowing but at this point it felt good since it was toasty warm outside. It was mentally the toughest run I've ever done. There were no mile markers, no landmarks, nothing but a long string of hot tired divas running through the desert. Ugh. This killed my hope of finishing under 3 hours. Absolutely mind numbing. I survived this run, I didn't race it. Until later ...

Overall I'm pleased with my race. Last year it was hard to focus on my weaknesses because everything needed work. This was my first event, second season, and perfect for eyeballing what I did well and what needs some attention. Mental toughness and hanging on to the run are at the top of the list. I've also learned that when there's wind or adverse weather conditions, I have to reset my expectations and be happy with what I accomplish. My paces seem slow but I know I did my best and feel good about that.

Some memorable moments from this event:

I was about 50 yards from the finish line and running on an empty tank. Out of nowhere this woman passes me and she has a "58" marked on her calf. My age group. Where the heck did she come from? I never saw her the whole race. My husband said he spotted me about that time and saw the look on my face change from "thank God this is almost over" to "no way in hell are you taking this from me." This was a long ugly race and I wasn't going to give it away. I dug up something from somewhere that I didn't know I had and I RACED that little Grandma to the finish line. Damn. That felt good. Beat her by 12 seconds.

A young girl (late 20's or early 30's) came up to me after the race. She was very emotional and teary eyed. She asked if she could give me a hug. She said this was her first tri and a tough course. She could see me ahead of her during the whole race and said I was her "inspiration" to finish. I cried too.

I love Iron Girl races and their whole mission and message for women living a healthy lifestyle. Aflac did a great job. The pre-race expo and clinics were great. The energy of 1000 strong women was amazing. I loved every minute.

Sunset Racing, the local organization who handled the course logistics, had several curves thrown their way. Construction wasn't done on several areas of the course and last minute changes had to be made. The sprint bike course was cut short and the Olympic was only 21 miles based on my computer. I think everyone pulled together and did a great job. I won't, however, race this course again unless it's completely revised. The venue was "Lake Las Vegas Resort" and the grounds were spectacular. Unfortunately, the bulk of the bike and run were in no man's land. There were no volunteers on the long stretches in the "desert" and it's fortunate there were no emergencies on those sections of the course. The course was not spectator friendly. The start and finish were in two separate locations, each about a half mile from transition. Spectators could see you start the swim and finish the run. There was no contact in between. This was disappointing for how well organized everything else seemed to be.