Blackridge

What a fun race! Great venues for beginners. I had great friends and family there, there were great spectators, and I really liked the course. It's just.....fun! Not so challenging you question why you paid to do this, but not just plain flat. Great swim venue too. Even though it doesn't allow for a much longer swim than 500 yards, it's clearer water than a lot of places, and the temp is warm enough you could do without a wetsuit if needed, and I think the fact that it is so small and clear makes it more comfortable for less confident swimmers. Here's your report

Photo courtesy of the great Chris Black

500 yard Swim: 7:52, 3rd overall out of the water, 1st in women. Clean, reasonably clear water (reasonable meaning you can see past your hand when your arm is extended, but it's not ocean clear by any means). A fair amount of people were swimming without wetsuits and I considered it, but in the end went with the wetsuit as I get cold really easily. Awesome run in beach entry which was cool, don't think I'd done one before. Upon exiting we ran down the long beach to T1 which was placed completely in the sand. Interesting. Not too annoying, but I did ride with a decent amount of sand in my shoes and on my body.
14 mile Bike: 41.44, 1st in women. I really like this course, just enough challenge to keep it interesting, but not enough to question "why am I doing this??". Very fast first 2 miles out of T1, then a gradual incline toward Kennecot Mine, then some rollers completed by a short but steep standing climb, maybe a minute long? After that it's smooth sailing going down some good hills. I was a bit disappointed to have to pedal the whole time because of a slight (or maybe not so slight, didn't feel heavy though) headwind, but I did stay aero the whole time.
On the way back with a few miles to go I passed a guy and he tried to keep up for a second. I noticed just a minute later that he tried to pass me on the inside on a tight left turn, not so wise. I stood up and hammered for a few seconds just to be sure I was in front for some breathing room. Then another minute later I thought to look back and he was right there on my wheel. I asked "You're not drafting are you?" him, "Yeah I am", but in a tone like I was wanting him there, like we were teammates. I said "well that's illegal". He said he didn't know and I didn't see him from there. Maybe he really didn't know, and if that's the case I apologize for what might have seemed like a rude tone. There was a fair amount of pack riding and floating into the middle of the lane, but I never had too much trouble passing as I worried I would starting in the last of 4 waves.
5k run: 20:53, 4th overall men and women, 1st in women. Decent time, I have to wonder if the course was maybe slightly long looking at some of the overall winning men's times, but it could be something else. My teammate Ian was leading the race until he missed a turn and went off course. He thought to look back maybe 1/4 mile later and several leading men were standing there waving him back. They waited there for him and then they all took off racing again. How cool is that?!?
Anyway, the course first went down 3 flights of stairs which was interesting and I liked the uniqueness of it, but the quads were a little unsure how to handle that coming right off the bike. Then it was basically all pavement, more sidewalk than I like (you know how I feel about sidewalk...right? At least it was only a 5k run), but it did allow us to watch the bikes heading back to T2 for a while, kind of fun. There was also a little bit of paved trail and some road. A couple uphills and a longer downhill. I was a little unsure of the course, hoping it didn't finish UP the stairs, and fortunately not. I passed two ladies out on my run, Michelle was one who looked particularly good. Nice run Michelle! Thanks for saying hi! Sometimes I get too into my zone, it was fun to chat for a minute.
Speaking of in my zone too much sometimes, these guys took me out of it. My mother in law lives about a mile from the race so we spent the night over there. Jer and the kids were supposed to meet me up at the pond to watch the swim. Well they slept in, which consequently meant I had to leave my phone in my dry bag in T1 which consequently ended up getting soaked by my wetsuit, so now I'm pretty much out of a phone again........ANYWAY ;)
I was around mile 2 on the run and heard these guys pull up on the bike and trailer on the other side of the road. It was fun to wave and yell to the kids, and fun to watch my littlest one Kaity basically stand up in the trailer to peek her little head over the side to wave. Not the safest, but definitely the cutest! Glad to have them (and my mother in law who made it but I failed to see and acknowledge, sorry!) there, late or not :)
So 1st woman overall, 7th among the men. 1:10.30. Fun way to draw an end to my short course season. Loved the huge pavilion everything was under, such a great space to keep everyone cool and comfortable. Timely awards ceremony that had us done by 11am - nice. I got a framed certificate thing and a pineapple. My boy said "Hey Mom! That's a nice pineapple you got there!" LOL, funny guy. Congrats to my many friends there including Chuck, Steve, Dianna, Te Koi, Kelli and Jared (REAL triathletes now!), Sarah, Rory (Happy Birthday!), Ammie and many others whom I'm sure I'm forgetting and I just met!!

Great job to you too Racetri! See you at the Utah Half!