*guest post at Team NOW

This past Sunday I was in Laguna Niguel at Crystal Cove Park for the Pacific Coast Triathlon. It was the SoCal Youth Tri Series Championship race featuring slightly longer distances (which I love!)

The weather was great and I had a blast. The swim is my least favorite part because people are always bumping you and kicking because there are so many people bunched up together trying to get through the water. I just try to remain calm and do my best to manage not to get kicked in the face 🙂 This distance was very manageable at 300 yards.

The swim to bike transition was interesting. It was a pretty long and steep hill – I’d say at least 200m. I was probably the 8th or 9th swimmer out of the water, but I powered up to T1 and I think I was 2nd or 3rd entering the bike portion.

The bike had some big hills! It was 6 miles. By the time I reached the U-turn, I believe I was in the lead overall. There weren’t anymore youth athletes ahead of me and I started to catch some adults from the previous wave.

A smooth T2 led to the run which is my favorite part. I felt strong and enjoyed the mile and a half to the end. I pushed as though I were in last place and was happy to see my family at the finish line.

Based on my points earned in the entire series, I also captured the series championship. I am really excited about this because there is an organization (Medals 4 Mettle) which gives triathlon and marathon medals to patients who are fighting for their lives. I will be donating my medal and hope it will lift someone’s spirits even if it’s just a little.

Thanks for reading, NOW Friends!