Ruidoso Triathlon

  The Ruidoso Triathlon is one of the shortest distance races of the Southwest Series Challenge, but one of the toughest courses.   This is a reverse triathlon that starts with the run which includes about two thirds of the coarse being on trails.  The event description states the the run is 3.5 miles in length but according to my Garmin it was 3.2 miles.  The trail, which goes around Grindstone Lake definitely makes this a great race.  Not only is it challenging but the run offers some great views.   During the run you will have to jump over roots, rocks and carefully navigate up and down the trial.  Passing other participants can be a problem because at many points along the coarse the trail is only wide enough for one person.  I would highly recommend some hill training before taking on this coarse.
   The bike coarse is not a picnic by any means either.  According to the Garmin the length of the bike coarse is 9.8 miles.  The coarse is out and back and the majority of the first half of the ride is an up hill climb.  The ride passes by the Inn of the Mountain Gods Hotel and Casino and offers some fantastic scenery of the lake and forest.  Of coarse what goes up must come down, so the second half of the coarse is mostly down hill.  I managed to hit a top speed of 43 mph and enjoyed every minute of the decent. The last part of the ride (a little less than half mile) finishes with an up hill climb, but nothing to serious.

Running from the transition area to the pool

  Finally the swim is in an indoor pool which was my least favorite part of this race!  The pool is very small and very crowded.  It is difficult to swim because it is up and back in each lane (total of four lanes) and when completed you have to get out and re-enter the pool and do the swim a second time.  I think it would be more pleasant in a mosh pit.  Once you finish the swim you have to run out of the building, across a parking lot and to the finish line.  Some of the participants at the race said they were not aware of this. 
    All in all this is a great race and I would highly recommend it as long as you train for hills for both the run and the bike.  The two main complaints that I have is the thin air, but I don't think the race director can do anything about that.  The elevation is about seven thousand feet so if you are not use to the thin air the race becomes so much more of a challenge.   During the run one of the girls read the back of my FCA tri-top which says "Why do you race"?  I really wanted to turn around and tell her for the Glory of Jesus Christ, but I was so out of breath I could hardly talk.  The second complaint that I would have, which I already mentioned, is the swim.  It would be great if the swim could be held in either Grindstone Lake or at the Inn of the Mountain Gods.  It would be my guess that some politics may be in the way of using either lake.  As far as the goody bag it came with race numbers, fliers for other events, gel, chap stick and a cotton t-shirt (which is a down grade from last years technical t-shirt).  In addition burritos were provided for the participants after the race and they tasted great (being a Clydesdale I am not sure I really need a burrito)!  The trophies where really cool! They were carved out bears from the pine trees in the area.  If only I had placed to get one. What is really important for me is not the trophy, but racing for the Glory of God!