SheROX Webster Triathlon - TriathlonSprint

I started in the front row of the wave and on the inside, planning to hug the buoy lane as much as possible. I was determined not to get caught behind a clog of other swimmers. I realized later that I could have started out faster but I was being cautious about staying calm. I succeeded in keeping up a brisk, steady pace, and passed loads of swimmers and swim angels from the previous waves, but I could never catch up with the handful of blue caps just ahead of me in my wave.


Start out faster.
I got stuck at second buoy when the swim angels and poky swimmers ahead of me seemed to stop (argh!); wish I'd have swum wider and passed them.
I do not know how to draft properly (add to list of skills for next season).

crazy long run uphill through the park, some women ran through the gravelly field, I took the gravelly pavement. Am glad for the advanced warning on T area being moved so far away, and I had a pair of old bright yellow crocs waiting for me at the beach.
A woman from a previous wave sprinted past us during T1 and called out "I can't swim, but I can RUN!" and we all chuckled
Ate 1 chocolate GU

nothing; I like how my T towel is set up, very simple, minimal stuff to deal with, quick as I can go

We've been training on this course all summer, which gave me a lot of confidence. My time was faster than my previous practice rides! Thankfully the road was dry and the great pile of sand had been swept away at the R hand turn/bottom of the long hill about mile 6. The series of hills at mile 4 had a LOT of women walking. I managed to pass a lot of riders, and only 3 passed me back during the ride.
Felt a little queasy (hungry?) about mile 7/8.

Go faster; need stronger legs.
Maybe carry a GU or honey stingers.

I was really tired after the bike and took a moment to eat a Gel; also fumbled the fasteners while trying to get out of the cycling shoes. My rack space was at the deep end of an aisle; it would have been nice to be closer to the center and exits!
I thought I didn't really waste time but my T2 was twice as long as the fast people.

It would be nice to have tri shoes with quicker straps. Take the Gel on the run, go quicker.

Running is my weakest area to begin with, and having put so much effort into the bike segment, I felt very tired starting the run. My coach/mentor and a friend were great encouragement coming out of T2. I did my best, did not walk, passed a couple of people, focused on staying steady.
My pace and total time for this loop was faster than all my training runs, and I feel great about that. However, it's a bummer to be passed on the run by 12-15 of the women I had just passed on the bike. Room for Improvement!!

run faster, push harder

water, hugs, photos, stretching


This is only my first season of training.


This being my first season of training, and my first year of getting back to health and a measure of fitness, I did the very best I could have possibly done yesterday. I had no equipment snafus, breathing great thanks to my inhaler, weather/nutrition/crowd all fine, great support from our coach (BT:mav) and among our training group. It was a great day.