Redondo Beach Triathlon - TriathlonSprint

This was my first triathlon ever, so something bad was bound to happen. For me, it was the swim where I got a panic attack after rounding the first buoy. There could be several reasons for me getting one even though I like to think of myself as an ok swimmer. First, I didn't do any open water swimming practice. Second, the wave start was a little bit intimidating. And third, I had almost forgotten that I nearly drowned the year before when doing an open water swim at the beach and maybe my body subconsciously just locked up. Needless to say I almost didn't finish, but I'm glad I did. It took a little bit of time waiting on the lifeguard's board for my heart to stop pounding and it felt like I had to relearn how to swim.

Since then I've been doing more ocean swimming and getting used to reading conditions. I'm more than ready for next year, and if anything, I know I'll be a LOT faster!

My time was alright. It was a really long run from the beach to T1 plus I was tired from the swim.

I've gotten a lot faster in T1 since then and now I have clipless pedals and bike shoes. I also keep it a lot more simple. I don't have to worry about putting socks/shoes on anymore.

I did fairly well for being pretty new to road cycling. I'm sure my time will be a lot faster next year. The steep hill at the end of the loop can be killer if you're unprepared for it. The downhill goes fast and it turns sharply into an uphill. I almost didn't make the turn one time!

I've been doing a lot more roadwork on the bike since then and now use clipless pedals (Speedplay Zero) and tri shoes (Louis Garneau). I'm a LOT faster. This route is actually part of my regular bike ride. I've taken the steep hill at the end of this course several times no problem at high gears.

Since I was riding with toe cages transitioning into the run was extremely quick. No need to put socks/shoes on.

I think this time will be slower next year since I use bike shoes and have to actually take time to put running shoes on. We'll see.

I'm a slow runner and I know that it's one of the things that I have to work on, but I was going at a steady pace. My legs were wobbly but didn't feel any sharp pain. I really had to go to the bathroom though! (I think I drank too much liquid mixed with nervousness.) Luckily there was a port-a-potty along the way, so that took a minute or two. :) After using it another fellow racer went right in and we had a laugh.

Well, I wouldn't take a bathroom break next time, but when you gotta go...

Walked around until my body settled down and did some light stretching.


Even though I was supposedly training at a level for Olympic distance, it didn't feel like it. Also being comfortable with the different environments helps a lot in the future.


Many people say that this is the ideal first triathlon for someone starting out, and I agree. I found out a lot of weaknesses in my training and overall preparedness, and I've only gotten better because of it. Everyone was friendly and very encouraging. Some friends and I hung out near the last turn of the race to cheer on remaining finishers and it's awesome to see the look of accomplishment on people's faces.

I can't wait to hit this race next year and kill my old time. I'm sure without some of the setbacks I faced I could have easily cut 15 minutes from my time. Look out 2011!