Cedars of Lebanon Triathlon - TriathlonSprint

I realy struggled on the swim. I do not know what happened. I was fine for the first lap (100 yards), and in the middle of the second lap, I lost it. I got a big mouthful of water at some point, and could not catch my breath after that point. I somehow managed to finish the swim, but I was very short of breath and my heart rate was very high getting out of the pool.

Stay calm and concentrate on my breathing. I need LOTS of work on my swimming before my next tri...

I could have made it through T1 a little faster, but I felt really bad getting out of the pool. I had to sit down for a few seconds to calm myself down and prepare for the bike course.

I felt really bad on the first 2 miles of the bike. My left calf began twitching and I could feel a cramp coming on. I was also starting to feel nauseous. I was going to take a gel around mile 8 or so, but ending up eating it at about mile 5. I choked it down and immediately started feeling better. I started to push my pace a little at this point. I could have done the bike leg a little faster, but I wanted to save my legs. I had to make sure I finished my first triathlon! There were a couple of good hills, and I attacked them pretty well I think. The road became very rough at about mile 13. Other than that, it was a great bike course, and I am happy with my performance.

Push a little harder, especially on the hills. I know what to expect from my body for next time.

T2 took a little longer than I wanted it to. I did not ride with socks on the bike, but I had to take time to put on socks for the run. This slowed me down quite a bit. Other than that, this transition was pretty smooth.

Learn to run without needing socks.

I felt pretty good coming off the bike. The bricks I had done in training definitely helped me. I did take it fairly slow on the first mile, and was able to push a little bit harder towards the end of the race. There were two fairly big hills on the run, but they did not bother me too bad. After coming up the last hill, I was able to sprint the last 30 seconds or so to the finish line to put on a good show for the wife and kids!

Run faster. After the race, I felt like I could have made it in less than 25 minutes. I am happy with my time, though.

Walked a little, and got some bananas and chips.


Feeling bad on the swim, and not knowing what to expect from my body in my first race. I did not want to push too hard too early and leave nothing for the finish line. I now know what to do next time.


Team-Magic puts on a first class event. The race was very well organized, and I had a blast! The courses were well staffed by volunteers guiding the way, and everyone was very helpful and friendly. I am looking forward to coming back next year!