Elkhart Lake Triathlon - Sprint - TriathlonSprint

I honestly felt a lot better than I expected to on the swim - the wetsuit felt great and it was like my mind just shut off and then next thing I knew I was at the turnaround. I had a little trouble with running into slower swimmers but I was usually able to navigate pretty well. The weirdest part was the end, trying to decide when to stop swimming and just get up and run out of the water, but it worked out pretty well. I was VERY pleasantly surprised when I looked at my watch and saw my time!

Nothing really - I felt relaxed, fast, and great throughout.

I would say one of the hardest parts of the entire race for me was running up from the beach into transition...but after that, it was smooth sailing. My wetsuit came off really quickly, I had already gotten off my cap and goggles while I was still in the water, and my shoes/helmet went on easily. Didn't have to mess around with clipping in or anything..mounting the bike went well, and it was great to see my boyfriend, his family, and my mom cheering me on as I got on the bike!

I was honestly really nervous about the bike because it was what I was the least experienced with, and I was semi-paranoid about getting a penalty. But after a mile or so, I fell into a rhythm pretty fast and started rocking out the hills. It was fun just picking out targets to pass and going after them - generally on the uphills. The only part that really got me was a weird S-bend uphill at around mile 10, there was a sharp turn going into it so I lost a lot of momentum, and then somehow had to get up the hill - not awesome! But overall the bike was a blast...I really enjoyed myself the entire time.

Work on turns - and not lose my Gu at mile 3!

This was a super easy transition. I was wearing XC flats which were great for biking and running, so I didn't have to change shoes. Racked my bike, got my helmet off, clipped on my race number, took a swig of Gatorade, and I was outta there!

Ohhh boy. Well, running is where I come from, so I knew this would be my strong point of the race. However, that didn't mean it wasn't HARD! While I was pretty much consistently passing people the entire time, I felt like a slug. And after making it up the "medium" hill and thinking it was the big one, turning the corner and THEN seeing the big one? Well, that was unpleasant. The downhill that followed was glorious though, and a 5K seemed so short that before I knew it I was at the finish. I only kicked about 100 meters out because I didn't realize how close we were...hehe

I think I could probably run faster...I wasn't really trying to push myself, more to just get through it. It is the end of the race after all, so might as well give it everything I've got!

Slammed my watch. Could not BELIEVE my time. I wandered around, got a Gatorade and a water, and hung out with my boyfriend and mom for a bit. I was so incredibly tired and giddy all at the same time, and I had a hunch I might have placed in my AG which was just...insane...and very exciting. I got all of my stuff out of transition and brought it back to walk back to the BF's house, and happened to see results had been posted on the porta potties. I wandered over and looked for times that resembled the one on my watch...the places kept getting lower and lower...finally I located my name and realized not only had I placed in my age group...I had WON it! Cue extreme excitement. We went home and ate delicious crab cakes and salad for lunch...yum.


I had an absolute blast at this race. Super organized, great spectator support, a beautiful course that was just the perfect amount of challenge without being overwhelming. I couldn't have asked for a better first triathlon experience...and I can't wait to do more!!!