Officially a Triathlete

September 6, 2008

17th place

4th age group

http://www.myentryfee.com/results/RaceList.aspx?target=84

My first Triathlon was awesome and a really good learning experience. So let me break it down.

The Swim - This was definitely the most insane and intense part of the race. The swim was in a reservoir and began at 8am; it was 49 degrees.

However, the wetsuit made it feel warmer in the water than out and provided a lot of buoyancy (and made me look sweet as you can see below).

So everyone in my wave (50 or so people) get in the water about waist deep and take off at the sound of the gun. Then for the next 5 minutes the water is complete calamity. Basically you're swimming blind towards bright pink buoys with at least 5 or 6 people frantically splashing around you. I just remember feeling a body go underneath me, feeling someones hands repetitively hit my feet and being pincered by two other bodies. It was awesome but very different. Every couple of minutes it's imperative to peak out of the water and redirect yourself towards the buoy. I felt like I only diverted off course a few times during the swim and posted a half mile swim split of 12:26!!!! That's almost 3 minutes faster than my best 1/2 mile time.

(This is where the swim took place)

Rank for the swim: 48th

The Bike - The bike was definitely the most difficult part for me. I did fine during the transition (had no problem getting the wetsuit off) but it took about 4 miles of biking (1/3 of the leg) to loosen up. The bike was set-up as a 4 mile loop on the road that we had to complete 3 times. During that horrendous first lap, I was passed by a pack of 4 or 5 people. I tried to hang with them but couldn't do it (I think my tires were a little deflated as well). During the next two laps I loosened up and really started to regain what I had lost. I think I caught about 3 people during the next few laps but only one of them being from the initial pack.

Rank for the bike: 23rd

The Run - I had no problems during the run transition but felt really sluggish for the first mile of the of the 5k (as I expected). I did end up passing the intial group of riders that blew by me during the first lap of the bike. After I picked off those runners, my legs really loosened up and I made my way to the 2 mile mark. Since the run was an out and back, I had a good idea of where the rest of my competition was and knew that I could definitely pick them off before the end. However, the finish came way too quick (i'm not used to running such a short race and I actually felt way too good as I finished) and I only ended up passing a few people as I turned at the halfway point. However, I did end up posting an 18:05 (5:50 pace per mile) during the run which wasn't too bad, but definitely slower than I was capable of.

Rank for the run: 8th

So my overall time was a 1:08:27 which was 2 minutes under what I projected myself. The most frustrating part was, I could've easily cut a minute and half off my transition times and placed second for my age group. However, I'm still very content with my results and had a blast racing. I can't wait to do my next one and really take my training to the next level after ski season.

All in all it was a great learning experience. Things that I will/could've done differently:

1.) Learn how to transition to and from the bike by leaving my shoes attached

(This is the transition area)

2.) Make sure bike tires are pumped properly

3.) Run harder during short distances

4.) Not change into bike clothing (ie bike shirt) from swim.

5.) Get better on the swim

I think if I do these things, I will see drastic improvements.

On another note, I came back from my Tri and found a letter in the mail from Cullen (gas money from GLR), and this was also included.

Thank you very much David Cullen. You crack me up.