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 Swim
Comments: The swim was tougher than expected for me. I thought I was mentally prepared for the group start, but I really wasn't. During the first 200, the chaos of flailing limbs got to me, and nerves were running high. I went out too fast, started breathing too hard, and messed up my pace. Stopped to tread water for 20 seconds or so, then went out again, slower this time, and reminding myself that all I wanted to do was finish. I will admit at times that second bouy seemed like an unreachable goal on the far horizon. A few people from the wave behind me passed me, which galled me enough that I really got it together on the home stretch. For some reason, my bilateral breathing went out the window and I ended up breathing every other stroke, always on the right. I was started by how different my race form was from my training form. Despite all this, my 17:24 time is a generous 2+ minutes better than my training pace. Go figure. What would you do differently?: I guess, race more. There's only one way to get used to those crazy starts, and that is to experience more of them. I also need to practice more sighting. I had done several open-water swims at lablover's urging, but I could use more practice there, too. In fact I think it would be impossible to do too many in training.  Transition 1
Comments: That's a long run up from the beach! I put my bike clothes on over my suit, so the changing was quick. Remembered to get my helmet on and clipped first - was worried about forgetting that. The longest part was getting into my socks and shoes. Gwendal gave me a tip the day before about stretching socks out before the race and then rolling the cuff halfway. That helped, but it was still slowish. What would you do differently?: Get some ankle socks - the long athletic socks are too tough to put on over wet feet.  Bike
Comments: This went much, much better than I had feared. I felt limited by my gear going in -- I have a steel-frame, fat-tire hybrid. So I didn't expect good speed -- in training I tend to average 14.4 on my quickest long rides. The hills were intimidating. I really had no goals except to finish the leg and to avoid walking my bike if I could manage it at all. Well, I could! The hills were tough but do-able, and I had a plan in mind from seeing the course the day before. The many downhills on the back half were very welcome and I picked up quite a bit of speed here (the only advantage to a heavier frame - more momentum!). Got passed, but passed a few people myself, amazingly! What would you do differently?: Get a new bike! Seriously -- I didn't want to invest in a good bike until I decided whether to stick with multisport. Well, I'm sticking with it! So I'm starting now to save for a road bike for next season. I could also use some coaching on bike skills. Will look into it. Transition 2
Comments: Was hampered coming into T2 by slower people walking with bikes in front of me. I wanted to run, and finally had to go up on the berm and pass a few people rather brusquely. Oh well, it's a race after all. Two great things happened in this transition. First, as we pulled into the clutch of spectators near the transition, I suddenly got all choked up, to my surprise. THat's because I realized that all my fears for the race (the swim start, the hills, bike problems) were behind me, and that all I had to do now was run, and I knew I could do that. At that moment I realized I really would finish. Another great moment was when I was took my helmet off, racked quickly, checked my laces and jogged out. A much more experienced racer, by the look of her and her gear, passed me just then and said to me "way to go! nice fast transition, triathlete!" Not only was this a nice thing for another competitor to do, but it was the first time I had been called "Triathlete." Another Oprah moment for the Danksin! What would you do differently?: Nothing. Eventually I'll have bike shoes and that will complicate matters, but there's no quicker transition than biking and running in the same gear.  Run
Comments: Definitely tired on the way out, but thanks to all those bricks, my legs recovered pretty swiftly from the ride. I was grinning the entire time because I knew I had almost done it. It was great to watch so many women, with varying form, style, and level of fitness, out there giving it their all. What would you do differently?: To be totally honest, I could have gone faster. Because my goal was just to finish healthy and happy, I didn't really push it. My pace was still pretty fast (9:03, faster than most training runs) but next time, I'll know I can pull out all the stops here and not collapse. Post race
Warm down: That Propel fitness water they handed me was very welcome. Drank it right down and headed for the port-a-johns! Wanted to lay down on the grass but forced myself to walk around and stretch out. Event comments: I couldn't have had a better first race. I began with a set of simple goals: 1. To finish. 2. To finish under 2 hours, barring any problems. 3. To fully participate in each sport the entire time; in other words, not to use a swim angel, not to walk the bike, not to walk on the run. and 4. To have a great experience that would encourage me to continue. I'm thrilled to say I met or exceeded each goal. Not only did I finish, I did so in a full 18 minutes under the 2-hour goal! I didn't need to resort to swim angels, bike walking, or run walking. The training paid off. And I felt so proud at the end, and had such a good time seeing and meeting other triathletes and BTers, that I will definitely continue. This was a great first time out! Last updated: 2005-08-01 12:00 AM
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Overall Rank = 884/1747
Age Group = 35-39
Age Group Rank = 224/338
My first-ever triathlon, and a great one it was. The prep started on Saturday with the race expo. The clinics were moderately helpful, and since this was Danskin, there was a hefty dose of "Oprah"-like, self-improvement talk to get us psyched up. On the edge of cheesy sometimes, but as a nervous newbie, I can say it worked for me.
Before/during lunch, met up with BTers MomX3, Gwendal, Celeb Ithil, and Akamak. Everyone's just as great in real life as they are online! Talking to others with similar histories (and anxieties) really helped me feel comfortable about being there. After lunch, we scouted the beach, walked the run, and drove the bike course while Gwendal narrated her game plan -- which I really appreciated. If I had seen that hill for the first time on race day, I would have had no strategy and my heart would have sunk! Gwendal, Akamak, and Celeb-Ithil had all ridden it (and lived to tell the tale) and that built my own confidence quite a bit.
Stayed in a hotel the night before, and would definitely do this again! Distractions were minimized, and I had plenty of time to think through the race, sit in the jacuzzi, and read. Peaceful, quiet night's sleep, too. Good for the nerves. The hotel started serving a continental breakfast at 4:30 -- which was awesome. Had a 1/2 bagel, 1 T. PB, 4 oz OJ, and coffee.
Set up transition, jogged back and forth a bit. Went into the water and swam maybe 50 yards just to stretch out and check out the water temp. Ate a half banana, drank water, lined up at the lovely port-a-potty with the rest of the Danksin sisterhood. I should have done this one more time before race start, as I had to pee through the entire race! On the beach, I met up with BT's Max, who had made a terrific sign with all the BT'ers names on it. Since I was at the race all on my own, I really appreciated having a spectator to watch for!