YMCA Triathlon at Clough State Park - TriathlonSprint

Did not wear a wetsuit. Because this was my first Tri, I didn't want to spend the money to purchase one if I was not going to stick with the sport. (I also lost a significant amount of weight training so I didn't want to buy one and then have it not fit because of too much weight loss.)

Wear a wetsuit. The cold water took my breath away for the first few minutes of the swim.

First transition went well. Remembered everything I needed to change.(Including putting my helmet on.) Long run from the beach to the transition area made this time longer than it needed to be.

Nothing. Attended clinics prior and received many good tips that allowed me to do the transition as fast as possible.

Nice semi-challenging bike course. (Especially for a newbie) Enjoyed my time out on the bike.

Look to get a road bike. Did the course on a mountain bike with road slicks. I think I could have save a good amount of time if I could have made myself more aerodynamic on some of the downhill parts. Should have practiced gear shifting more when approaching hills. Struggled to keep my cadence consistent on the climbs.

Had a good second transition. Forgot to take off my bike shorts but in the end it didn't matter. I didn't realize until I finished the race.

Nothing.

Had a few issues with cramping in my calves on the run. Other than that, had a good steady pace and was happy with my results.

Do some more focused brick training to get my body used to the transition to the run. Took a few minutes for the cramping to subside and then was ok for the rest of the run.

Stretching and a walk around the park.


Strength and endurance. I have never done an endurance event like this before. Continued training will allow me to get faster as my body continues to adjust to the rigors of the sport.


Overall, I am very pleased with my results. Enjoyed the entire experience and am looking forward to training for a longer distance event next year. To all the people who are thinking about trying, you will be surprised what you are capable of and you don't have to spend a ton of money to do one. I did it without a wetsuit and with a mountain bike that has been sitting in my garage for a few years.