At the start, I started having trouble with my breathing. It was weird because the conditions were good, and I wasn't panicking. By the time I rounded the first bouy, I was gassed. I rolled over on my back to get my breath under control and try to figure out what was wrong. In retrospect, as excited as I was for this race, I probably went out at a faster pace than I am used to and got out of breath quickly. By the time I got back to swimming, I had lost some time and was toward the very back of the group. I finished the first loop with a lot of time to make up.

I settled down on the second and third loops, and tried to catch up to some of the other swimmers. I wasn't swimming well, but not bad either. I wasn't able to catch up to the thick of the pack, but I wasn't last out of the water. A rocky start on what was supposed to be a banner day. I headed back up the stairs to transition knowing that the bike course wasn't going to make the day any easier, and I was already in a hole.

Start slower. Instead of trying to stay with the pack, I should have relaxed more and found my natural stroke rhythm. I always expect a wave of fatigue at around 200-400 yards, so I could get through that and be okay for the rest of the course.

A little bit of a blur after the long hike up the stairs to transition, but fairly efficient. Not as many bikes still in transition as I would have liked, though.

I knew going in that the bike would be tremendously challenging. It has a long, steep uphill starting from a turn, so there is no opportunity to use momentum to get partially up the hill. The hill is relentless, and reminds me of the ride up Mt. Lemmon in Tucson. You just grind away and grind away with no break in sight. I will be doing the Mt. Lemmon ride at the Spinervals Winter Conference in January, so this course made me realize how much work I have to do between now and then.

I managed to catch a few people right off the bat, but things spaced out fairly quickly. Throughout the entire ride, I kept looking for a larger group of people to assess how far behind I was, but all of the riders were spaced pretty far apart. It made it very difficult to gauge where I was in relation to the rest.

The spacing became more apparent on the second loop. There were some people coming the other way, but I wasn't sure if they were behind me, or finishing the second loop. I might be able to get a better idea after the second turnaround. As I climed the hill the second time, there were some other riders coming the other direction, but not a thick group like I was expecting to see. There were times when there was no one in sight to the front and maybe one or two in view behind. The fact that there was no one to chase and no one chasing was very demotivating, especially on a tough course.

I finally made the last turnaround and started down the hill. The downhills even presented some challenges due to crosswinds. It made me a little skittish, and I ended up using the brakes to control my speed. In addition, a piece of my rear wheel cover broke off, so I was probably getting some adverse handling impact between the speed and the wind from that. I counted abouut 15-20 people behind me, which isn't a lot, but it was something. Even though I didn't see anyone to chase down, I could make it a goal not to let anyone catch me. I finally rolled into transition, glad that the bike was over.

I'm not sure what else I could have done. The design of this course is as difficult as it can be for a rider like me. I usually am good on flats and downhills - I can even do okay on rolling hills, but this course had none of those. It was just a long uphill grind most of the way. I would have felt better if I had stayed more mentally focused, but the sparse nature of seeing other racers made it difficult - at times, I felt pretty alone out there.

I was glad to be done with the bike, but I also knew the run wouldn't offer any relief. It was going to be just as hilly, and it was also getting hotter. That said, the transition was efficient.

After leaving transition and hitting the steep hill, I was slowed to a walk. I could only see one other runner ahead, and tried to keep him in my sights. I got a jog going a few times when things were a little less steep, but it was hard going. I knew that I would get a break after mile one and could try to get into rhythm then, so I ran for short segments and walked others. I kept looking behind, but there were only a couple of people back there to try to hold off.

I passed the aid station and finally saw the road start downhill. I started to run and felt pretty good. Unfortunately, the downhill didn't last forever, and the road pitched upward again. I walked a good bit of the uphills, but if it was anywhere near flat or downhill, I was running. However, just like the bike, the course didn't provide any opportunity to settle into a pace. The hills broke up any semblance of getting into a comfort zone.

I tried to keep an eye on how many people were coming the other way. There were some, but it was a trickle and not a flood - there just didn't seem to be a pack anywhere. I finally reached the turnaround and headed back to the finish. There were a couple of people behind me - two passed me, but I held my spot from a third. I wasn't thrilled about getting passed, but losing spots on the run is nothing new. It's usually a lot more than two - small victories.

I finally reached the last aid station - sweeet relief - it was all downhill to the finish. I coaxed my legs to keep running, even after I saw the possibility of breaking four hours fade away. I had no idea at that point where I was going to finish within the division, but I would be able to check soon enough.

I probably should have pushed a little more on the uphill sections.

I grabbed a couple of waters and checked the race results. When an update was posted, I was on the list for Clydesdales. It looked like there was a reason to attend the awards ceremony, so I packed my things and headed back to Surprise. I would have to eat and change clothes quickly to get Jenna and I ready in time to make it.


Hills, hills, and more hills


Physically, I don't think I was having my best day. I didn't feel strong in any phase of the race, but did okay despite this. It wasn't a great performance, but wasn't horrible either. And it was great to finally have a reason to go to an awards ceremony to pick up the medal for second place in the Clydesdale division.

Tri Family Racing did a good job with the race. Directions were clear, there were plenty of volunteeers, and the aid stations were well stocked. The course is billed as the toughest in Arizona. While there are others that present their own unique challenges, I haven't come across one that is tougher. It lives up to its reputation.