Tuacahn Duathlon!!!

3 mile run.....24 mile bike.....3 mile run

This will be a much different post than if I had written it on Saturday or even Sunday. The race was HARD and why was it hard? Because I was not prepared. The website describing the race said, “a fast and flat race through Ivins and Kayenta”. So that is what I prepared for. Flat racing. I did 3 long bike rides, the weather didn’t allow for much more. I knew I was fine with the running because I run 3-4 times a week.

The morning of the race I was pumped and excited. I changed my clothes twice before I left the house, I couldn’t decide what the weather would be like. The first 3 mile run was great. Down a sloping hill from Tuacahn, right past the house we were staying in (where Bryan and the boys were cheering me on), turn around and back up the sloping hill.

As I ran to my bike I checked my cool watch and let out a cheer, 29 minutes!!!! I have never run a 5K that fast before. Quick debate about the clothing situation again, changed shirts and off we went. Down the hill again and cruising along a flat road in Ivins, where I thought I need to get out my jacket it is pretty cold, I will do that soon. Circle around and soon I was starting the part I was unprepared for, UP 2 1/2 miles of Snow Canyon. All I could do was keep adjusting my gears and try to figure out what was best, I was roasting, no way am I putting on my jacket now. The last stretch to the turn around was STEEEEEEEP. I got to the top and debated about whether or not to take off one of my shirts, no I better just get going. Down the mountain and I was FREEZING, why didn’t I put on that jacket and gloves?

Around this time as I started the second loop of the biking portion (the same as the first) I started to notice that not many people were behind us (us being my brother Chris and I). I decided to kick it into high gear on the flat, I left Chris in the dust and counted only 6 people who were behind us. I started to get discouraged. So on I went barreling on the flat until I hit Snow Canyon and Chris caught right up to me. Huffing and puffing and so hot. As I got to the last really steep stretch these 3 (much older) ladies passed me. I said, “no, you can’t do that.” They laughed and on they went. By the time I got to the top panting they were resting and waiting to go done. No resting for me, I had to beat them. Down the mountain I went, freezing again. I was not nearly as cautious as I was the first time down, who cares if I fall at this point. I made it to the last little slope back up to Tuacahn just as Bryan and the boys were pulling out to drive up there to see us at the end.

Hard to tell, but I am smiling so it must not have been that bad. And yes this is the ONLY picture they took of me on my bike.

We got to the transition and racked our bikes, threw down our helmets and just ran. Bryan looked at me and said, “what do you need?” I am sure I looked terrible, I just passed by and waved. There was no way I could have stopped even if I had wanted to. 1.5 miles luckily downhill first while my legs felt like boards. I could not feel my feet and just felt like a machine that someone else was controlling. We got to the turn around water station, stopped for a drink and started back up the LAST hill. We started to notice that people who were behind us disappeared, they must not have done the last snow canyon loop. Almost to the top and here come 2 of the ladies who passed us on their bikes. They just trotted right past us and continued well ahead, I wanted to throw something at them. Finally the finish line was in sight and Chris grabbed my hand and said we can do this. We put as much energy as we had and finished at 2:55:07. One lady finished about 5 minutes after us, we were second to last.

I am hoping my sister in law got some better shots than this! She said we looked like string cheese and Chris said he felt like a baked potato. I had no brain activity so I don’t know what I felt like.

Anyways we thought it would take us 3 hours and it did. There were like 5 bagels left and nothing else, no line at the massage table because everyone else was long done. I was discouraged for about 2 days, until I realized that we were last, but we finished. I know for a fact that 4 people did not finish and there may have been several others. We did what we set out to do and it was hard, but I DID IT!!!

The kids did a kids race, while we were still finishing, which was fun for them.

After hours of trying to warm back up and bring life back to my brain Chris and I decided to do something. So we went to the grocery store and came back and made Si’s Sante Fe Enchilada’s, which take about 2 hours to make and are worth every second! Especially when you have accomplished something great that day.