Embrace the Race (My first Tri) - TriathlonMini Sprint

It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. I didn't train for this and was really intimidated about getting in the water at all, but it was a good experience. Lots of kayak volunteers for a real feeling of safety and ease.

I definitely would have warmed up. Next time I'll train for the swim and also start toward the middle of the pack instead of the very back - I had trouble trying to navigate around people.

first time, I was a bit flustered, but it was ok. Had a bottle of water to splash on my feet to get the sand off and a towel to dry them. I got on my bike at the wrong spot (like a foot away from where I was supposed to) so that cost me some time...but it was overall good. Def a learning experience.

Get on my bike at the right time.

Had a big, clunky hybrid bike with only 3 speeds for this, so it was kinda funny. I was strong on the up hills, otherwise it was slow going.

Get a road bike, for sure!

Not bad. I decided to do the race on Friday (my girlfriend was entered) and didn't have a ton of workout clothes with me (I was on vacation), so I wore a plain cotton black skirt to bike/run in and it was great. Comfy and convenient, I didn't have to worry about getting it on my wet body - it was quick, quick, quick :)

Nada

Ran this conservatively (i.e. slow) to keep my ankle safe (had surgery last fall.) It was mega fun and I finished with tons of gas in the tank - my first words after finishing while they were taking the timing chip off were "That was SO much fun!!"

My chill attitude made the overall experience a good one - especially since I didn't train for block workouts and wasn't interested in killing myself since I had a bachelorette party to go to a 1/2 hour after the end of the race.

Nothing.

Rain, rain, rain.


Wrong type of bike and lack of swim training.


This was a good experience for me. I treated it more like a longish workout than a race, which made it low-key and stress-free.
I am going to start tri-specific training now, and by next spring/summer I should be in better shape to take a race seriously and more competitively. I don't have a wetsuit or I'd consider another one this fall.
I'm really excited to get to know this sport better :)