Big Lick Triathlon - TriathlonOlympic

Four months of training crawl and within 400yds of the shore I was a gasping, panting mess. You'd think I never trained a stroke. I did get a lung full of boat exhaust though which really through me for a loop. I ended up rolling and doing backstroke for 85% of the course. Was very unhappy, but I DIDN'T GIVE UP THOUGH...which I am calling a win on my first outing. Some of the hot shot first waver's called it quits, but I didn't.

Uh..the right stroke for starters. Will need to work on adreniline managament in a very real way.

So bloody drained from awful swim was just trying to relax and get back into the program. Was not racing in T1, just surviving, frankly.

Actually TRY to be fast in transition.

Pretty happy all in all considering 90% of my training was on flat land. I caught A LOT of people on the ride, and most of them on the hill climbs. I felt really good, and it got to the point that if I saw another rider ahead of me, I could catch him/her...without fail. Feel if I practiced in hills like this more often, I could really, really excel.

Not much other than hurrying the heck up in T1 and get more climbing practice prior to race day.

Again...need to improve this, but it was a heck of a lot better than T1. Honestly, all that was in my head was, "I still have to do WHAT?"

Not psyche myself out about the next event so much...Try to remember I am having fun.

The first and last miles are magically longer than all of the others...at least it seemed that way to me. From the first mile climb, my shins were screaming/cramping. I just didn't have any legs left, and there was a whole lot of running and climbing left to do...Again...my flatlander, beach girl training was not serving me well in the mountains. Also, I was going VERY ANAEROBIC...lots of panting, and I could feel my heart beat in a way I have NEVER felt my heart beat. Not unhealthy or crisis mode..but I would say "red line" for sure.

Hydrate LESS I think as I made myself sick trying to "amp up" my feeling of wellness. practice hills much, much, much more, and probably do more bricks in pre-race training to adapt to the rubber legs feeling of bike-to-run transition.

Carried my wobbly legged self back down to the lake and just cooled all of my muscles as much a possible...smiled a lot. :)


Lack of stamina, truly. Hate saying that, but there it is. This was my first race though, and by golly, I found the finish line. Have to be happy about that.


This event is the Mid-Atlantic Collegiate Championships, and many, many MANY people questioned why the heck I chose such a tough course for my first tri. The fact is, I definitely would have had significantly better times and less trouble on an easier course, but I didn't choose triathlon because I was looking for something "easy" to do. This is a good race, and when I run it again next year, I know what to expect, and that I will improve very significantly.