Lake Minnewaska Triathlon - TriathlonSprint

I seem to have a problem pushing right when I swim. The entire swim was good, the rain has stopped and there was little wind which made the lake very calm. The turn around the buoys was good but I pushed far to the right of everyone as I swam. I'll have to fix that. At least I didn't have anyone kick me in the head that far away from everyone else.

Train more in rougher water so I feel more comfortable in lake. Also, learn how to swim in a strait line.

Being this was my first tri, I did not attempt to push the transition time. I took the time I needed to get ready and make sure everything was ready to go. Then I walk/jogged out of the transition area and got onto my bike. I had my shoes on, helmet, gloves, and shirt on before I even grabbed my bike. I know it could have been faster, I just was not trying to make it fast, just do my best to finish. Overall, I thought it went well.

Next time, I will definitely try to set up my transition area better. I saw several people who had tubs of water they used to wash their feet off after coming out of the water. I thought that was a great idea. I put socks on then put my shoes on before I walked to the starting area but I definitely would go sans socks next time.

This was a nice ride. When I got on the bike the first 3 miles were tough because my legs felt like they were on fire. After that third mile the sensation went away and I was good for the rest of the ride. It was really fun to ride along the lake for the first few miles and then again as you were coming home with the out and back format. The half-way point was right at the end of the big climb. I think the whole climb was about a mile or more at a gradual ascent. It wasn't steep it just kept going. I only stood twice up the hill which was nice because it saved my legs but I did have to get into my higher gears on the big climb.

Loose some more weight. I think if I was 10 or 20 pounds lighter the entire ride would feel differently. Also, I now know my bike is too big for me. I have had it for a long time but did not really notice until I started training for this triathlon. The top tube and headstock are just about two inches too long. If it were that bit shorter, I think the bike would ride better and I would have more power in the strokes.

Again, here I did not go really fast in the transition area. I just did what I needed to do. I changed socks, put on my shoes, ate a Gu and had some Powerade. It did not put on my iPod but I thought about it. I decided I wanted to do it this time without the music to see how it went.

Again, I might try to go sock-less on my next triathlon but we will see. I would also set up the area a little differently. If it is not raining, I would set out my shoes, cap, and anything else so I wouldn't have to dig through my bag to find the stuff.

My legs did not work! For the first half of the run, I was struggling to get my muscles to fire properly. Apparently, I wasn't as slow as I thought because I averaged just under 10 minute miles. This is pretty good for me considering I felt very slow.

I would definitely remember to wear band-aids! Forgot after the swim to put some on and paid for that on the run. Had one bloody nipple. Lovely! The only thing that would make the run better would be to loose some more weight. I think then I would be faster and feel better at the end of the event.

Got done with the run portion and walked for a little bit, got some water and made my way over to the food station. I had one hole bagel with cream cheese and some more water. I just tried to walk a bunch and make sure my body was ok. I took a mental inventory of my physical state and noted that I was not abnormally sore in any area. I got back to my bike and stretched a bunch, my son was causing a raucous and wanted to play (he's 2) so I obliged him a little bit. Then I did not get back to stretching, which I know regret.


Only one thing limited my speed and I believe that is my weight. As of this morning before the race, I was 256.4 which is a lot lighter than when I started but not as light as I wanted to be today. My goal was 250 and I missed that but it is alright. I will continue to train and try for another sprint distance triathlon. I don't want to go for something like an Olympic distance yet because the 1,500+ yard swim scares me a little bit.


I DID IT!!!!! This was a great thing to strive for and achieve! I am so excited to be able to say I completed it. Do I feel I am a Triathlete yet? No, I have a long way to go before I can call myself that but I do feel like I can participate in a triathlon. The confidence boost is awesome! It was also fun to see other guys and gals there that were larger like me. There were even a few men there that looked bigger than me! Awesome, you go guys!