Danskin Tempe.

The Danskin Women’s Triathlon on May 9th, was a great success. Tempe Town Lake was a perfect location for this small fun race. I had a wonderful time and a really good race. The packet pick up the day before the race was very efficient and organized. There were many volunteers there to help and answer questions. The race course was also displayed on the wall so participant knew where they were going. After getting your packet you could walk around the expo area and try samples of XOOD, Luna Bar and Silk Milk.

Race day: The transition area was very organized, my race number was stickered onto the transition rack so I knew exactly where to put my bike and transition mat. There were also many people there to help with body marking. Landis Cyclery was available to help anyone with last minute bike problems.
Swim: The swim was very well marked with bright yellow and orange buoys. I thought I was going to have to wear my wetsuit but I was pleased to find that the water temperature on race day was a comfortable 77 degrees. It was my first open water swim and surprisingly it was not bad at all. I did not get my goggles kicked off my face and no one elbowed me. For the most part everyone stayed in their own space after the first 100 yards. This helped me concentrate on my swim better.
Bike: The bike course was my favorite part! The course was easy with a few small hills, I enjoyed the well marked path and the volunteers directing you through the turns. The views of the city and ASU were beautiful. Other racers were friendly on the bike and words of encouragement were passed between participants.
The run was a flat and picturesque loop around Tempe Town Lake with aid stations that had water and Gatorade. My favorite part on the run was at mile 2.5 where there was a volunteer with a hose soaking anyone who was hot. I feel like I could have run well if the opportunity to train in warmer conditions had existed. I had a lot of fun despite the unseasonably warm temperatures. I would like to thank all of the volunteers that helped make this race a great experience for me.

After the race I rehydrated and had some food then got a great massage from Massage Heights. Overall, I had a great time at the Dankskin triathlon and I look forward to participating in the Seattle race on August 16th 2009. Red Rock put on a fantastic race! Be sure to check out their upcoming races this year:
Nathans Hydration Triathlon September 27th featuring a sprint and olympic distance triathlon. Ant the infamous Soma Half-Iron Distance October 25th. The only half-iron distance race at Tempe Town Lake and a great warm up to Ironman in November.
Time to train,
Mojdeh!