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 Swim
Comments: Since this was my first triathlon, I had no idea how agressive the swim would be. I'm used to doing laps by myself, single file! If I wanted to get ahead I was going to have to get agressive too. So I started swimming between other racers and stopped worrying about collisions. What would you do differently?: I did go off-course while swimming parallel to the beach, but it was only momentarily, and by about 5 meters. Other than that, swimming is my strongest part of the triathlon so I'm very happy with my results. Next time I might try to get a spot at the front of the start line so I don't have to swim behind other racers.  Transition 1
Comments: I didn't own a wetsuit, so I just biked in my speedo shorts. This was actually a huge time saver! All I had to do was put on my helmet, shirt, socks, shoes and get going. I also don't have clippless pedals, so I put on my running shoes that I would use for the rest of the race. What would you do differently?: I was a little dizzy and I couldn't balance very well, so I had to sit down to put on my socks and shoes. But I tried to put them on while standing up. This cost me about 5 seconds. Next time, if I'm dizzy and can't balance, just sit down on the ground right away. Other than that, I'm very happy with my first transition!  Bike
Comments: I may have done a great job on the swim, but my bike ride was below average. I was using my 1980's Concorde road bike that I use to ride to work everyday. It's decent, but a tad outdated. I also didn't have clipless pedals or any high tech gear for that matter. Putting my lack of proper equipment aside, everyone who passed me had big leg muscles compared to me, so I just wasn't a great biker. 21 minutes was good for me personally, and I'm happy with it, but I would like to do a lot better on my next race. What would you do differently?: Train harder on the bike. Maybe join a spin class or something. Also, I might need a new bike and an aerodynamic helmet. Transition 2
Comments: This transition was even better than my first one! It really paid off to do a dry run through the transition area before the race. I knew exactly what I needed to do. What would you do differently?: I might have actually stopped for a couple extra seconds to drink more gatorade. It would have added more time to my transition, but could have helped my run.  Run
Comments: The run portion was relatively simple. No hills, flat smooth surface. What would you do differently?: If I need to improve on biking, then I REALLY need to improve on running! I got a stitch early on, and I had to slow down (walking pace!) After the stitch went away I started jogging, but the stitch came back! So I walked, the jogged then walked etc..I walked for about a quarter of time. At the very end though, when I heard the crowd cheering at the finish line, I bolted. I didn't care about the pain because I wanted to finish with style. Next time, I will remember that pain is mind over matter. If I can bolt at the end, then I can run with a stitch and endure the pain for the whole race too! Post race
Warm down: Drank lots of water and gatorade. I found shade and just lied down. I got my free chocolate milk, had a couple sips and felt sick, so I stopped drinking it. Honestly why would I drink chocolate milk at a time like this?? What limited your ability to perform faster: It was my first triathlon, so my lack of experience limited me the most. I know now that I should practice running the most, and biking second. I'm a strong swimmer, so I don't need to practice it as much. Next time I will train a lot further in advance. I only trained for 4 weeks for this one. Event comments: Trying to get my bib number at 6:30 am sucked! They put a list of the bib numbers outside, and nobody noticed them. Everybody lined up inside and once I got to the front of the line they asked me what my bib number was - "bib number?" I said "I don't know, you tell me..??" Then she directed me back outside to get the number and line up all over again. This happened to 90 percent of the people in line! Next time they should have the bib numbers at the desk where you actually get your bib! Seems like a no-brainer to me. Other than that, the race was fairly organized. Last updated: 2012-08-26 12:00 AM
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Canada
Multisport Canada
22C / 72F
Sunny
Overall Rank = 140/388
Age Group = M25-29
Age Group Rank = 21/38
I set my alarm for 5:00 am and got out of bed around 5:15. I at a bowl of cereal and an apple, and left for the race with my girlfriend (she's the best!) at 5:50.
This was my very first triathlon, so I wasn't worrying about calories or stretching very much. I was more concerned with getting to the race on time with my bib number.
I did some stretches and tried to prepare myself mentally for the race. I also spent some time walking around the transition area to plan out my transitions for the race. This paid off big time! Okay, maybe transitions are easier for more experiences racers, but this was my first triathlon, so I didn't want to get caught up and waste my time in the transition area. So it was worth it.
I got in the lake about 10 minutes before the swim. It was warmer than I was expecting. I swam at my friend's cottage in Muskoka the week before, and it was much colder up there, even on a sunny day.
Once I knew that the water temperature wasn't going to be a problem, I focused on preparing myself mentally. There's no such thing as over-preparing yourself mentally.