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I performed terribly in my first triathlon! Help!
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 2014-06-30 6:09 PM |
 8 |  Subject: I performed terribly in my first triathlon! Help!I participated in the 2014 ITU World Triathlon - Chicago yesterday (Olympic Distance). This was my first triathlon. My time was terrible!...(3.5hrs). I'll go over each phase a bit below, but if anyone out there has any tips/suggestions as to where to go from here....I would love/appreciate any input! A few months ago, I set the goal of losing some weight and trying something I never thought I would try: A triathlon. I trained a few months, lost 20lbs....(admittedly, my training effort wasn't always the greatest and I look back knowing I should have done better to prepare for this moment).....and as training progressed, I set a very generic goal of finishing between 2.5 - 3 hours, based on my abilities in each phase. SWIM: I have always had a fear of water. It took me a long time in the pool to get comfortable. With about 2 weeks to go before the triathlon, I was starting to get really confident in the pool, and was swimming 1.5k in about 30 minutes. I didn't try an open water swim until the week of the race, and the temperature difference from the pool to Lake Michigan....it shocked me! I wore a wetsuit, which helped my body feel warm....but when I would put my face in the water to breathe, it felt like my lungs were just constricted and shocked....making it just impossible to breathe and get into any sort of swimming pattern. During the triathlon yesterday, I was absolutely panicked during the hours building up to the race. When I got in the water....I just froze and panicked. The first half of the swim, I was stopping every 15 feet, clinging to anything I could. This dragged on and on until about the midway point.....where all of a sudden, I was able to put my head down and started to find a decent rhythm. I'm guessing my 2nd half of the swim was laughably faster than the 1st. Has anyone out there experienced this personally? How do you get over such a paralyzing fear? The fact I didn't quit the 75 times I wanted to quit....well, I am proud of that, but my time...ouch, I am endlessly embarrassed. BIKE: The bike course was great, fast and fun. This was always my strength, and despite both hamstrings cramping up on the first lap, I managed to survive and get through the bike in 1:15. RUN: I thought I felt OK in T2, and took my time getting to the run. As soon as my feet hit the pavement....I realized how exhausted I was (presumably from the massive struggle in the swim). Midway through my first lap, my hamstrings were cramping again...which just got worse and worse throughout the run and by the time I got to the finish line, I could barely move! I have to say, this was my first experience with triathlons and the triathlon community, and the fantastic/positive support from fans, fellow racers, volunteers, etc was just incredible....to the point I really found it moving, and as I crossed the finish line for my first tri, I was overcome with a bit of emotion. I am incredibly proud to have just finished, but a day later.....I really can't get over how terrible my times were, how quickly my body fell apart...and how the OWS was probably the scariest thing I've done in my life. I'm motivated to fix this and make it right, but I'm not sure if I should try a Sprint Distance next to try and build some confidence? Or go for another Olympic Distance immediately.....If anyone can share personal experiences or advice, I would love to hear it all! THANKS!!! |
| 2014-06-30 6:36 PM in reply to: thomaiii |
Veteran 720   Aurora, Illinois | Subject: RE: I performed terribly in my first triathlon! Help! What a race to pick as your first one!!! Congrats on finishing it, it was a hot day out there yesterday! Congrats on also losing that weight! Just be consistent with your training moving forward, practice more open water swimming if possible to get use to the temperature differences & choppiness, and practice brick workouts (going from bike to run) so your legs get use to that feeling. Great job again!! |
| 2014-06-30 6:37 PM in reply to: thomaiii |
Pro 15655  | Subject: RE: I performed terribly in my first triathlon! Help! Most waves were allowed to get in the water as soon as the prior wave went off....did you do that? I can't believe the number of people I saw sitting on the sea wall waiting to be told there was 1 minute or 30 seconds until their start. That's a BIG no-no in an OWS, and especially one with water temps of 66-68. Get in the water! Even if you don't want to do a "warm-up" (which you should) there is value in just getting acclimated to the water temps. |
| 2014-06-30 6:40 PM in reply to: Left Brain |
Pro 15655 | Subject: RE: I performed terribly in my first triathlon! Help! And......you won't likely be in another triathlon with a 1/2 mile run from the swim to the transition area. |
| 2014-06-30 6:42 PM in reply to: #5019610 |
| 8 | Subject: RE: I performed terribly in my first triathlon! Help! I got in the water immediately, tread water a bit, moved around...tried putting my face in and blowing bubbles...but it just didnt work for me. I guess what i learned is that it takes me 30 minutes to adjust to the temps, which leads to a huge waste of energy. |
| 2014-06-30 6:45 PM in reply to: thomaiii |
Pro 15655 | Subject: RE: I performed terribly in my first triathlon! Help! Originally posted by thomaiii I got in the water immediately, tread water a bit, moved around...tried putting my face in and blowing bubbles...but it just didnt work for me. I guess what i learned is that it takes me 30 minutes to adjust to the temps, which leads to a huge waste of energy. It won't be as bad the next time.....just keep working. Good for you getting in the water as soon as you could. Look, your first OWS was in Lake Michigan....that's no joke...there were many very slow swim times. |
| 2014-06-30 7:05 PM in reply to: thomaiii |
Member 622 Franklin, TN | Subject: RE: I performed terribly in my first triathlon! Help! I agree with Tony. Olympic distance is a hell of a way to start if you fairly new to the swim...it's not that much shorter than a HIM swim. That being said, you finished and that is something to be proud of. As LB mentioned, you need to get acclimated to the water temps if at all possible. A warmup of a couple hundred yards/meters will do wonders for getting acclimated to the water temps and to settle the nerves. If they don't allow in-water warmups, do some dry land exercises to get your body ready (stretch cords work pretty well for dry land swim warmups). The nice thing about racing is that it gives great feedback on what needs to be improved. It sounds like you're doing pretty well on the bike. You'll gain confidence the more you swim...keep at it. Sprint tris are alot of fun too if you want to race some without the swim leg being so long. |
| 2014-06-30 7:19 PM in reply to: JoelO |
| 8 | Subject: RE: I performed terribly in my first triathlon! Help! Thanks for the kind feedback. Yeah, I suppose with the swim....that's just something that will take time & effort to just hopefully get used to over time. Doing a Sprint Distance seems like a good way to kinda start over, and gain some confidence.....but at the same time, I spent all this time building up to do an Olympic, and I feel like I failed a bit....so I don't know if I should keep pushing my training and giving it a go again. The Chicago Triathlon is in a couple of months....trying to decide if I want to go through what I just went through again (and if I will be able to improve in such a short time)....or if just going for a Sprint to get some easier experience under my belt might be wiser. Also, does anyone know how the Chicago Tri in August compares to the ITU? I've heard the Chicago Tri is a huge mess with a large amount of people..... |
| 2014-06-30 7:54 PM in reply to: thomaiii |
Member 2689 Denver, CO | Subject: RE: I performed terribly in my first triathlon! Help! I know it can be hard to turn that voice off that says you failed, but you really didn't!! You made it through the swim that you almost quit 75 times, which is huge. I've recently come to the conclusion that the mental part of this sport is just as important as the physical. I'll freely admit that I'm a newbie (1st tri is in mid-August), but it seems to me that doing a shorter, smaller race as your next one might be a good way to get a little confidence back. You could maybe even squeeze in a sprint and an Oly before the end of the season if you're so inclined; you'll certainly have the training for it. |
| 2014-06-30 8:34 PM in reply to: laffinrock |
| 105 | Subject: RE: I performed terribly in my first triathlon! Help! Relax and have fun. My first sprint tri, last july 800m swim, 37 minutes. My 3rd tri, 3 weeks ago. Half Ironman, 42 minutes for 1.2 miles ~1600m or so. Your doing all the right things, keep at it. |
| 2014-06-30 8:34 PM in reply to: #5019629 |
| 8 | Subject: RE: I performed terribly in my first triathlon! Help! Thanks Mary! Good luck at your first triathlon in August! You'll find out that the support of the fellow competitors, spectators and volunteers will carry you through it if you are struggling with anything. There are so many variables that come into play: training, nutrition, weather, confidence, pacing....you learn so much about yourself and hopefully you finish and have a great experience and want to go again. I can certainly see how people get hooked on this. Good luck! |
| 2014-06-30 9:30 PM in reply to: thomaiii |
| 152 | Subject: RE: I performed terribly in my first triathlon! Help! I can also confirm that OWS is just so much different. I have never had any fear of water at all, been around it my entire life. I have never been a swimmer but once I learned the basics I was doing OK, 500m comfortably in the 10:30-11 range. Got in lake and proceeded to start way to fast, get knocked around some and then some guy on my feet totally had me in panic mode and I ended up finishing 750m in like 19m which is also embarrassingly bad. 2 things that have helped me, A. Get over the fact that people will be on your feet, what I was doing was I would feel someone near my feet and I would basically stop kicking, I now have the understanding that its up to them to go around (especially because I am on the outside) and if they don't wanna get kicked in the head they better move. B. For me it actually helps counting strokes, it totally takes my mind off everything else as boring as it sounds |
| 2014-06-30 11:17 PM in reply to: thomaiii |
Elite 3090 Spokane, WA | Subject: RE: I performed terribly in my first triathlon! Help! I just glanced through some of the results, and you were not the only one that finished in the 3.5 hr range. Honestly, 2.5 hrs for that event being your first was unrealistic based on what I saw. Good job! |
| 2014-07-01 6:52 AM in reply to: thomaiii |
Extreme Veteran 1986 Cypress, TX | Subject: RE: I performed terribly in my first triathlon! Help! First, congrats on your first race. My quick assessment... A) The swim took a lot out of you. B) You biked way too hard. A 1:15 bike is a better than average bike split and frankly probably above your current pay grade considering the swim struggles and being a first timer. C) You paid for A & B on the run. |
| 2014-07-01 8:38 AM in reply to: thomaiii |
| 788 Across the river from Memphis, Tennessee | Subject: RE: I performed terribly in my first triathlon! Help! I was told something by a wise guy once... DFL>DNF>DNS... From the sounds of it, you weren't Dead Flipping Last. You fought through your fear and you are not only stronger for it, but you know what to expect now. I have to agree with LB tho, that's a heckuva race to debut in!! |
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