Paddle, Pedal & Pound the Pavement IX - TriathlonSprint

i did well the first couple of lanes and i caught the person in front me. this was strange, as i'd never passed anyone before. i swam up beside the person and then passed at the turn on the wall. i actually caught the next person in front of me, but i didn't feel there was enough time to pass before the finish and there were people right on my tail, so i just drafted right behind them to conserve energy before getting out. i passed the person in front of me getting out of the transition. my swim time was a little longer than i'd hoped, but with the new experience of all these other people and the lane changes, its within reason for me.

practice swimming on one side of the lane, not just down the middle. after one turn, i almost ran head-first into an oncoming swimmer! i moved just in time, but also took a big gulp of water.

37th fastest T1 time; i had some trouble getting my shirt on with my bib # on it. i'd practiced getting the shirt on a wet body, but had not practiced it with an extra peice of paper. tying my shoes probably took too long, but i did it as fast as i could. got on the bike with no issues, but couldn't get my feet in as fast as i'd practiced. probably nerves and distractions.

overall, i was pretty satisfied with T1. but, in the future i will consider swimming in what i ride in so i don't have to put a shirt on. also, i'd look into a race belt for my bib # and quick laces so i don't have to tie them.

started out strong on the bike. i ate a GU about 3 miles in. this was probably too soon, because after i finished, i felt like i had something stuck in my throat and hacked a little to get my throat cleared. this led to almost throwing up a couple of times. the hills were very difficult, as i didn't train enough hills. i probably pushed on the bike too much, but looking back on it, i wouldn't change that. my pace was above what i wanted it to be and i was still able to finish and run fine. i was passed by 7 riders and i passed 2 (one of which was up one of the last hills; i kicked it into over drive just to pass this person). because of the hills, my dispersion of speed varied from 10mph to 23mph-this is a huge difference compared to training.

wait longer to eat GU. possibly push a little harder at times to try to increase my average.

5th fastest T2 time; i couldn't get my feet just right on top of my pedals after taking my feet out of the straps on the bike. other than this, i had no issues with dismount or running the bike into T2. i racked the bike with no issues and quickly removed by helmet and bandana. i actually took an extra second because it seemed like there was something else i should be doing, but there wasn't. good transition with a very respectable time.

do more bricks and practice feet in and out of pedals more.

i didn't have many issues with the run. i had a good pace and maintained the pace well. i did not let others' pace dictate my race. i passed 5 on the run and was passed by 1. with about 2 miles left, i caught up to a kid (couldn't have been more than 11) and i was right on his tail for a while. with about a mile left, he picked up his pace substantially up a hill and left me in the dust. i didn't let it get to me and continued to run my race. turns out i didn't even see him on the last hill or at the finish line. i only got 1 drink on the run (~ mile 2) and drank while running. no issues.

no much. i felt i ran a good race and finished as strong as i could. maybe with more practice, i'd push myself more.

walked around some, got some water, and sat in the shade. had some orange slices and gatorade. i later ate everything in sight.


i didn't want to push it in any one discipline and ruin the rest of my race. now that i've completed one and know what i felt like on each portion, i might push myself more to acheive a better time.


52nd Overall place; 39th Gender place; 8th Division place; this was a pretty good first timer event. it seemed organized, but the volunteers could have spread out a bit more. there were times when i was biking/running alone on the course and had to make turns without the reassurance that i was doing correct. i'm not complaining as its my responsibility to know the course. the swim started about 5-10 min later than schedule, but this didn't phase me much as i was 67 people back in the wave start.