Race Report: Southern Utah Triathlon by On Hill Events
When I heard the announcement for the Southern Utah Triathlon by On Hill Events I was excited about it. It is not unheard of to see snowfall before Halloween in Bountiful Utah, where I live, so I loved the idea of going somewhere warm in late October for a race and it’s always fun to visit my Mom.
The weather was perfect for this event. I have done many triathlons of all race distances over the years but I had never done a triathlon relay with someone before so I thought it would be fun. I signed up for the Olympic Relay with a friend. She would swim, I would ride the 40K and we would split the run. She did well on the swim and soon I was off on the bike. There was quite a bit of climbing on the first 6 miles, then a quick decent then out and back again. I dropped my chain on the first steep climb and my front derailleur wasn’t working so I stayed in the big chain after that and had to grid the rest of the climbs more than I wanted to but I had no other option. Unfortunately this would leave my legs a little more tired that I wanted for the run. I had to keep reminding myself to push harder because it was only a short 25 mike ride but my legs seemed to keep slowing to half Ironman pacing. Overall it was a decent ride. I passed off to my friend and she took off on the run. By that time it was sunny and nice outside and was really turning out to be a nice day. Soon it was my turn to finish up with the last half of the run. The first quarter mile was a little rough getting my legs going again but I got into a good groove by mile one and was able to push the pace for a bit. Again being used to doing half marathons coming off the bike I had to keep telling myself to go stronger. My heart rate seemed to be high for the pacing and I counted down the last mile trying to push the pace and stay focused on the moment. My legs seemed to be a little more dead than I anticipated from the ride, but I pushed through. I have only focused on recovery workouts since the Ironman 70.3 World Championships so this was great workout. All in all this was a great training race and fun to share the load with a friend. It was even exciting to place first in the Olympic Triathlon Relay division at this inaugural event. As always I appreciate the support I get from friends, family and my sponsors (Champion Systems, Xterra Wetsuits, Intermountain Sports Medicine, Cocogo, Elete, Wasatch Running Center, Bountiful Bicycle, EvoFit/Enso Roller)
I hope you will join the fun next year (ask me about the discount codes)
Learn more about the Southern Utah Triathlon
Happy Training,
Coach Lora Erickson
Need help with training? Contact Coach Lora Erickson, theblonderunner@gmail.com
Coaching services available: Race Planning Consultation, Running Training, Triathlon Coaching, Swim Coaching, Cycling Skills, Strength Training, Race Nutrition Feedback & Planning.
