Swim
Comments: I've heard enough bad things about crazy open water swim starts to be a little nervous going into it the first time. But, I knew that my comfort in the water from all my years spent swimming and being in the Pacific Ocean all the time growing up would help quite a bit. I was in the second wave and ended up positioning myself during the treading water start over to the right side in the second row back. When they said "GO" I threw caution to the wind and went for it. I got kicked, slapped and did my fair share of kicking and slapping. What a rush! I was grinning like a goofball, it was so fun. I went out a bit too hard at the start and after a few minutes was having trouble calming down my breathing so I slowed a bit and got into a groove. I flipped over to my back twice and did back stroke for about ten seconds each time to catch my breath, but aside from that I just focused on rhythm and being long and smooth in the water. And before I knew it we were headed back to the Yacht Club. I pushed myself hard and I think the swim was great overall. What would you do differently?: Not go out quite so fast so that I can sustain a more even effort throughout the race. Have a chance to get in the water in advance of the swim (though that wasn't really an option at this race). Transition 1
Comments: This transition includes a two block run up the street from the Yacht Club to the transition area. In my case, this transition also included a stop off at the porta-potty since when I was running from the Yacht Club I realized that I forgot to pee in my wetsuit before I finished the swim, and I really needed to go urgently. Once I got to my rack everything went great, just like I practiced. This was a slow transition but a lot of people who finished the race close to my time took 7-10 minutes in transition so I was pleased with my time given the obstacles. What would you do differently?: Not have to pee in the middle of T1. Bike
Comments: I was the most nervous about the bike but it ended up going really well. I ran the bike across the mount line, got on and was off. I was afraid I was going to be cold after the swim given the weather but once I got going I was able to stay warm no problem. I've had the benefit of riding in this area a lot, and have ridden most of the course more than once. This was great for my comfort level, and I was able to ride aggressively. I've always considered biking to be my weakest of the three disciplines and was shocked that once I took off I was actually passing people. A lot of people. A bunch of them ended up passing me on the run but it felt great to get on the bike and really hit it hard. The bike was really fun for me. And it was great to see my hubby and hear him cheer for me on my way back into transition. What would you do differently?: Not go out quite so hard (am I seeing a pattern here?). I ended up not leaving a lot in my legs for the run. Transition 2
Comments: I got off the bike and was pretty tired so I had some trouble racking my bike. My addled brain could not figure out how to get it to fit next to the bike next to me on the rack. After two tries I got it right, then threw my shoes on, grabbed my hat and race belt and was off. I love my Yankz! What would you do differently?: Have a plan for how I'm going to rack my bike ahead of time so that I don't get confused. Run
Comments: So, the run sort of sucked. My legs felt horrible getting off the bike and I felt like I was trudging as I started running. I thought I would do well on the run because it is so short but at the start my goal became just to not walk. After about a mile I got my legs back and was able to pick up the pace a bit. I ended up sprinting the last little bit into the finish chute and that was all I had left in the tank. What would you do differently?: Bricks, bricks, bricks. More running at race pace on tired legs. I've got to get used to the dead leg feeling. Also, I should have brought water with me on the run. This was such a small race that there were no aid stations and I was parched during the entire run. Post race
Warm down: Walked around, grabbed some Pop Chips, Gatorade and a banana. Stretched a bit then went with the hubby to Sam's for brunch. Yummm whole wheat buttermilk waffles! What limited your ability to perform faster: Just need to train more! Event comments: I had a goal in my head (based on no concrete data) that I wanted to complete the swim in 20 minutes, the bike in 45 minutes and the run in 20 minutes. I was thrilled that I beat all three of these goals, and overall I had a very successful first triathlon. I was especially excited that although the run felt awful, I was able to go sub-10 minute miles which I was not expecting. I think this was a great way to do my first race, on a familiar course with my husband there for support before I go and race in Chicago next month. I love the way this sport has changed my body and my mind, and am now officially hopelessly addicted! Onward and upward! Last updated: 2009-05-18 12:00 AM
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United States
Tiburon Volunteer Fire Department
57F / 14C
Overcast
Overall Rank = 222/292
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Age Group Rank = 0/
Got to the transition area early and was able to snag a spot on the end of one of the racks. I'm glad I practiced setting up the transition yesterday because it made the morning stress free. I checked, in got my race number (#213) and cap and put my wetsuit on. Walked down to the SF Yacht Club and waited for the race to start. I loved how low key this race was because my hubby got to be in transition set up with me and got to walk me down to the SF Yacht Club. It totally helped my first-timer nerves to have him there with me.
Nobody jumped in the water ahead of time to warm up so I really didn't get a real warm up in. We had to tread water for a few minutes before the start of our wave so I was able to get used to the freezing cold bay water at least.