Race Report : Deschutes Dash July 14th, 2013

9:21 PM Remy Maguire - Manifest the Best 0 Comments

One day I'll explain how it was I got here. For now, a story about last weekend -- with a little lead in.

Three years ago when I first started coaching and competing in triathlons, the Deschutes Dash was
happening the same weekend as the Girlfriends and Dudes Triathlon. A couple of the women I was coaching were planning to race down the river in Bend. It seemed awfully scary to me so I raced the
more beginner-friendly Girlfriends and Dudes instead.

This year, things are different. My coach, Ann, suggested the Dash would be a good race for me.
One I might even be able to win. (Ok, what? I have a coach? And I might win a race?) Things are
different indeed.

Andrew and I drove down to Bend, 3.5 hours, on Saturday afternoon. He'd just flown home from
a week away so I piloted the Mazda down the highway. We arrived at the Red Lion with enough
daylight to wander the streets downtown, pop in for a pre-race planning session at a local watering
hole and fill up on the best pizza in town - thanks Hot Rock Pizza!

Sunday morning was bright and cold. After several cups of sweetened hotel coffee we headed to the
race venue. I'm not going to lie, I really wanted this one. Trying to be cool as I set up my transition
space, my main man was causing quite a commotion. He was talking to the race officials to make
sure I could give the info I didn't have at registration, my USAT number, after my finish. He was
more nervous than me!!!

We walked together down stream to the "beach" start. DANG!!! That's cold!! I splashed about for
a minutes blabbing with nearby racers about the silliness of it all. We are about to swim 1/2 mile in
snowmelt and then bike 12.5 miles and run a 5k. All this for fun.

The first buoy was about 50 yards ahead. We were to swim around it, keeping the marker on our
left shoulder then head straight down stream to the take out. Assuming my place front and center I
dove in at the start shot and headed straight for the buoy. WHOA!!! Not 30 strokes in my legs got
whipped down current and I was pulled off track, hard! No way! I'm going to miss it!!! With full
force I swam upstream a few strokes and yanked myself around the right side on the buoy. That'll
get your heart rate up.

I was the first woman out on the bike course. Notorious for getting lost on course I hollered at every volunteer en route - "Am I going the right way???" Uphill for 6 miles, downhill for 6 miles. I coasted into the transition with the three guys I'd followed the whole distance. Thrilled I could keep up but not sure what was happening behind me - I knew the run would have to be fast.

We bounded down the road, through the park, into the neighborhood, under the bridge, over the
bridge, across driveways and through sprinklers. It was crazy and unlike any other course I’d raced
before. With no mile markers my pace was off. I would sprint, then pull back, sprint again, and by
the end I had no idea if I was fast or slow.

Andrew cheered me in through the finish line. Laughing and smiling and soaking up the feeling of being done. So good.

Chocolate chip cookie. Beer. Sunshine.

I was in the first wave of racers so I finished about 9:15am. Many people would be coming in
over the next couple of hours and I wouldn’t know the official results until later. With the awards
presentation scheduled for 11am we decided to scoot back to the hotel for check out. I decided that
was a great chance to clean up and get prepared for my podium appearance. I've got this one -- I
know it!!