The water was a perfect 82 degrees and the sun had risen enough that it wasn't an issue for sighting. The start line is a good 50 meters from the stairs which makes for a perfect warm up. I also believe this warm up helps with not freaking out 100 meters in, which was the case at the 4 Peaks Racing Splash & Dash. I am not a floater so I am always happy when there is a kayak or dock to hold on to. The Life Time Tempe Tri has just that. I didn't catch the guys name but had a nice chat about swim starts, as we had the same issue of not wanting to waste energy treading water. Before we knew it the horn went off and it was time to swim.
The swim was a normal swim. I started in the back enjoyed my space and focused on breathing. It wasn't until I made it to the 1st turn buoy that the waves behind me started to catch up and pass me. I held my line and just kept swimming. A major improvement is that I was in the fast swimmers way, sorry. Why is this an improvement? It is an improvement because it meant I was swimming a good line. As all open water swims near the end I try to fully enjoy/soak up as much of the experience as I can. I do this because open water swimming, while intimidating, is very freeing and I don't get to do it all that often. I made my way to the stairs and was helped out by one of the many awesome volunteers.
Once out of the water it is a short run enclosed by spectators cheering you on to transition. My spot in transition couldn't have been much better I was 4 racks from the bike out/in. Very little time spent "running" with my bike. Once out of transition and on my bike it was smooth sailing. I really didn't train as much for the bike as I would have liked but like the saying...it was just like riding a bike.
I enjoyed the bike for several reasons; it is relaxing, there weren't any rude riders yelling at other riders, and I got to see many of my friends. It is easy to spot people on the run. The bike is a little harder. I was still able to pick out Bryan, David, and Manoj just to name a few. I cheered them on whether they heard me or not. Before I knew it the 30 plus minutes on the bike was over. I re-racked my bike, took off my helmet, changed my shoes, and was off on the run.
Tempe Town Lake is one of my favorite places to run. The run is my go to and where I feel the most comfortable and this run was no exception. I got into my rhythm and the miles went by rather quickly. Two miles into the run my Jakroo top was the start of a conversation. A guy passed me and we started talking about Tourette's. Turns out his nephew has Tourette's. Shortly after that discussion ended a friend spotted me and cheered me on as she passed on the bike. How did she know it was me? Could have been my ticcing gait or the tri top! Which means awareness is being raised.
My favorite part of any endurance event is seeing my family at the end of the event and the end of this race was no different. My wife does a great job of supporting me during my training and getting everyone out to the race. Being the head of the cheering crew is a lot of work and she does it so well. Got to meet one of my tri sisters after the race as well. The Tri Mafia is another great support and can't wait to meet more of the family members. As one event ends training for the next begins and that would be the Rock n Roll Arizona Full Marathon in January.
