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 Swim
Comments: Prior to the start, we were asked to assign ourselves in order of expected swim times. I asked a few folks and placed myself right behind a fellow who said he would swim just under 8 minutes. Boy, that wait time went by pretty quickly! I was about the 12th to 15th person to enter the water, but it did not feel like a long wait!! When it was my turn to get in, I put on my goggles and hopped in. Now, I KNEW that we were starting in the DEEP end, but as is always the case when I hop into the pool I train in, my brain was waiting for my feet to hit a solid surface at about the four foot deep level,,, buuuuut on this day, there was none. Okay, so I pop up, and after a couple seconds, the lady yells 'Go', and so my first ever tri is officially under way! I knew that I needed to focus on being relaxed and to 'breeeaaathe' so as to not get all tensed up and fatigued. This went well. I soon passed a couple of people and found myself behind a lady who was going too fastto pass, but not really quite fast enough.. I now know what 'drafting' is :) And, if you are that young lady, I am really sorry for touching your toes :) Before I knew it, the swim was done. What would you do differently?: Remind myself how deep the water is?? More training in water will help swim performance, but overall, I am happy.  Transition 1
Comments: T1 time was included in the bike time. I was really happy with both transitions, especially as this was my first tri. I hopped out of the pool, jogged over to the T area, down to my spot, got the tri top on ( I elected to swim without the top, as I had never done so) I did run through transitions at home, as practice. I had the tri top bottom part rolled up so I just had to put my arms in and push it down. It went on with no issues. I used more BT hints here,too - Rolled socks (like, uhmmm, condoms :) and had them filled with foot powder, set inside my bike shoes. I got to the bike, tossed goggles, put on my tri top, eyeglasses, and helmet.Bent down to put on the rolled socks, cycle shoes, and a 'race belt' I made out of an old elastic waistband from a pair of, uhmm, old underwear!!(race bib just pinned to it) All went faster than the time it took to write it here! Ran bike to the bike mount line and off I went.I opted for the 'step left shoe into clip, push-off with right foot-swing right foot over and sit' method, which worked fine. What would you do differently?: Maybe wear the tri top in the swim?? And run faster through transition.  Bike
Comments: I really enjoyed this ride, and was likely grinning most of the way! There were no marshals - it was not a 'sanctioned' event- but I still followed the drafting rules. I did however, break from the BT mantra of 'Nothing new on race day'. I had gotten some T2 aerobars a few weeks prior, but not put them on until the day before the race:) I spent about half of the race on them, on sections of flat, straight 'safe' riding. Everywhere else, I was down on the drops. I was passed by a few really fast riders, and passed some as well, offering encouragement to other participants, and thanks to volunteers/onlookers who cheered. I did have a bottle on the bike, and took on some fluid (iced tea/sugar :) as it was hot out and I knew I would need it. My mouth was also dry... At the end, I was able to get my feet out onto the tops of the shoes for the last few hundred metres, and hopped off at the dismount line, running my bike into T2.Overall, I was happy, and satisfied with the ride. What would you do differently?: I was happy, but more training is in the forecast. Transition 2
Comments: Time included in the bike ride. I hopped off the bike at dismount, ran the bike in and racked it. Took off helmet, pushed feet in to shoes and shuffled off on the run start.I had wanted a smooth transition, and paracticed at home with the shoes already tied and just jamming my feet in. I had done it a few times to get the laces tied just tightly enough to be snug and comfortable, but loose enough to get my feet in without struggling. Problem was - I practiced with dry feet and dry socks. Ihad put powder into my shoes -thanks again BT- but once off the bike my feet were damp from the swim and sweat from the ride. So, there was a bit of struggle getting one shoe on, which 'cost' me about 5-10 seconds. Not really an issue, as I was not in the hunt for a top placing, but something to be aware of. What would you do differently?: Maybe try out a lace-less system??  Run
Comments: I felt ok coming off the bike, and tried to focus on keeping the cadence up, as I had really only done one or two runs off the bike prior to the race, and knew that the legs would feel strange and heavy. As luck would have it, there was a young lady ahead of me, and an older gentleman right beside me on the start of the run. As I ran along with this man, it seemed nearly everyone knew him and called out 'Way to Go, Brian', (not the same Brian that I met in transition) which served to somehow encourage me as well. I was beginning to feel some cramping in my left quad, and ITB pain on the left knee, so was unable to really run as strongly as I had wanted, but running along with Brian was helping, so onward I ran. The course was very well-marked with signs and painted arrows, and the volunteers were awesome. The great weather also helped. What would you do differently?: Overall, I am pleased with the day, despite the pain in my left leg. More training on the horizon :) Post race
Warm down: Walked around absorbing all the positive energy and the basking in the glow, wanting to shout out " I am a Triathlete..finally" :) grabbed some Gatorade/water, finished the iced tea from my bike bottle, did some stretching. What limited your ability to perform faster: Some left leg pain and cramping, which has been a bit of an on-and-off issue over the past year or two, and of course there is always lots of room to improve when it comes to getting more serious about training. I was really happy that my PF has not been an issue of late. Event comments: For a beginner-triathlete, this was an awesome event. It was very well-organized, the adult (over-15) start time was not too early :), and the cost was not too high ($75). I think that the City of Langley does a great job with this event, and do not hesitate to suggest it as a first-time event. I will definitely enter again.( I rated it '4' because there is likely room to improve, and I seldom rate anything '5' :) Last updated: 2011-06-29 12:00 AM
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Canada
City of Langley
Sunny
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As this was my first tri, I had no routine to speak of. I woke up early enough to make coffee, without which I would be useless :) I ate some toast with my favourite PB and honey, drank one cup of coffee, and had a banana while re-checking that I had everything needed. I had set everything out the night before, as per the great hints on BT, and allowed my OCD to reign - in other words I packed and re-packed my bag.... I picked up my race package on the Friday eve, and drove the bike course before heading home. I found previewing the course to be helpful during the race, and suggest doing so if possible. I got to the race site with plenty of time, and found a spot on a rack and went to work setting up my spot, following all the great tips I have gleaned from BT. The gentleman next to me (Brian) even thanked me for being so organized! (thanks again BT...sensing a theme here??) I then found the check-in tent, got my race chip and then off to be 'body-marked' - No. 673 ! Applied some sunscreen.
With about 15 minutes till start, I went off for a few minutes of easy warmup running and some stretching. Once we were all on the pool deck, the instructions/pre-race briefing was given and a group warmup was run by a couple of fitness instructors. Not too sure how really useful it was, but it did help to quieten down the nerves.